Positive action in promotion
[ch 13: page 98]The law allows employers to take positive action such as mentoring or extra training to provide the support that under-represented staff need to move into higher grades or certain job roles (see page 43).
Where there are two “equally qualified” candidates for a promotion opportunity, the law allows employers to choose the candidate from the under-represented group, as long as there is evidence of under-representation (section 159, EA 10). The EHRC website provides guidance as to when this might be an appropriate tool to tackle under-representation at work.
A quick start guide to using positive action in recruiment and promotion https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/85046/positive-action-recruitment.pdf