Diversity meaning

SM&CR—timeline This Practice Note charts policy and guidance progress and change on the SM&CR, along with key milestone dates, from 1 January 2025 onwards. For more detailed information and LexisPSL material on the SM&CR, see SM&CR and approved persons regime—overview. For a concise primer on the SM&CR, with additional notes on forthcoming developments, see Practice Note: SM&CR—one minute guide. For all activity before 1 January 2025, see: SM&CR—policy development and key dates—to 31 December 2024 [Archived]. For culture, diversity and inclusion (D&I), and non-financial misconduct related updates, see: Culture and social governance in financial services—timeline. Date Source Documents Description 23 January 2026 FCA FCA invites views on additional rules for cryptoasset firms CP26/4: Application of FCA Handbook for regulated cryptoasset activities – part 2 CP26/4: Application of FCA Handbook for regulated cryptoasset activities II [PDF] As a continuation of consultations on cryptoasset regulation, the FCA is seeking input on how it will categorise cryptoasset firms for the SM&CR. Consistent with its commitment in CP25/25 (paragraphs...

What is neurodiversity? Neurodiversity is a collective term covering conditions like ADHD, the autism spectrum, dyscalculia, dyslexia and dyspraxia, which influence how someone experiences and engages with the world. Sensory stimuli can be overpowering for people with these profiles. Yet many are exceptionally bright when they can operate in ways that align with how their brain works. Society is increasingly recognising that it should adapt to include neurodiverse people, rather than expecting them to reshape themselves to fit in, so that they can participate fully in community life. These conditions are more prevalent than many realise and are often unidentified because individuals have learned to mask. Firms are placing greater focus on inclusion and diversity, and this checklist is intended to help them review their environment and make it as comfortable as possible for all clients. Environmental Factors Sensory distractions can hinder concentration and attention for neurodiverse individuals in certain office settings, so it is worth exploring whether reasonable adjustments could be introduced. The following checklist highlights...

Quoted companies (other than investment companies) This checklist sets out the UK Corporate Governance Code expectations on the composition of quoted company boards, together with best-practice guidance from leading institutional investor representative bodies. It also draws on guidance from the Quoted Companies Alliance for small and mid-size quoted companies, and from the Association of Investment Companies for investment companies. UK Listing Rules Companies listed in the equity shares (commercial companies) category should confirm in their annual report, on a ‘comply or explain’ basis and by reference to a chosen date within the accounting period, whether they meet the following board diversity targets on gender and ethnicity: a minimum of 40% of the board should be women at least one senior role—chair, CEO, senior independent director (SID) or CFO—should be held by a woman at least one director should be from a minority ethnic background Reference: UKLR 6.6.6. 2018 UKCG Code No less than half of the board,...

In this issue: Horizon scanning Directors Status and worker categories Cross-border, international and jurisdictional issues Recruitment Protected characteristics Prohibited Conduct (discrimination etc) Diversity and gender pay gap Maternity, parents and carers Financial services and banking: employment issues Data protection and employee information Bribery, modern slavery, tax evasion and fraud Employment Tribunals Scotland Ireland LexTalk®Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Dates for your diary Trackers New Q&As Employment resources on Lexis+® Daily and weekly news alerts Horizon scanning BTC launches call for evidence on Employment Rights Bill The Business and Trade Committee (BTC) has opened its first request for evidence for a new inquiry into the Employment Rights Bill (ERB). The inquiry will collect written and oral submissions to steer the Bill’s subsequent passage through Parliament and to gauge whether it is set to meet its stated aims. Written evidence should be submitted by Friday...

In this issue Working time and flexible working Pay Tax Prohibited conduct (discrimination etc) Employment tribunal equality claims Diversity and gender pay gap Industrial action Unfair dismissal Employment tribunals Immigration Northern Ireland ESG and sustainability: employment issues Daily and weekly news alerts Dates for your diary Trackers New Q&As Working time and flexible working Code of Practice (Requests for Flexible Working) Order 2024 (SI 2024/429): The Order designates 6 April 2024 as the date on which the updated Code of Practice on handling requests for flexible working, issued by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) under section 199 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULR(C)A 1992), takes effect. It also clarifies that the revised Code does not cover applications for flexible working made under section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996) that are lodged on or before 5 April 2024;...

In this issue: Horizon scanning Worker status and categories Immigration Pay Remuneration Taxation Diversity and the gender pay gap Maternity, parents and carers Whistleblowing Data protection and staff information Confidentiality, obligations and restrictions: enforcement Financial services and banking: employment matters Bribery, modern slavery, tax evasion and fraud Issues arising on termination Employment Tribunals Civil courts and alternative dispute resolution Dates for your diary Trackers Employment resources on Lexis+® LexTalk® Employment: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Horizon scanning Updated Employment Rights Bill to be considered by the House of Lords The updated Employment Rights Bill (ERB), transmitted from the House of Commons to the House of Lords, was issued on 14 March 2025. Its second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled for 27 March 2025...

ARCHIVED: This content was published in 2018 and is not maintained. This Market Standards Trend Report reviews current market practices and developments arising from the FTSE 350 annual general meeting (AGM) season for 2018...

This Practice Note considers how equal pay (equality of terms) applies to women who are pregnant or on ordinary or additional maternity leave (OML/AML). It also examines key elements relevant to pregnancy and maternity within equal pay law, including: the implied maternity equality clause, covering its impact and the duration of the protected period the principle that a comparator is unnecessary for pregnancy- and maternity-related equal pay claims how pay rises, bonuses and pension contributions are handled during maternity leave and on returning to work A woman away from work on maternity leave occupies a distinct position that merits particular protection, yet is not comparable to a man who is actually working. Consequently, she is not entitled to full pay during maternity leave, notwithstanding the equal pay principle in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. That said, being on maternity leave does not remove all equal pay entitlements for the duration of the absence (see: Effect of maternity...

Justification—the ‘justification defence’ This Practice Note explores the concept of justification—often termed the ‘justification defence’—within discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010). It addresses what may amount to a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. It assesses proportionality in cases of indirect discrimination (EqA 2010, s 19(2)(d)), including where the objective is to prevent discrimination linked to other protected characteristics. It reviews the notion of a provision, criterion or practice (PCP) and considers issues arising in relation to direct and indirect age discrimination (EqA 2010, s 13(2)) and the Heyday case. In doing so, it evaluates objective justification, defence (no discrimination), the burden of proof, the approach a tribunal should adopt, and circumstances where discrimination rights come into conflict. This Practice Note includes references to case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). For guidance on whether judgments of the Court of Justice are binding on UK courts, see Practice Note: Assimilated law—Assimilated case law. Domestic measures enacted to fulfil UK obligations under...

1 Policy statement The Company is committed to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). By this we mean: equality: delivering fair treatment and equal opportunity for all employees, workers and job applicants, and eradicating unlawful discrimination; diversity: acknowledging, respecting and valuing the differences in our people’s protected characteristics, backgrounds, skills and experience, and encouraging gender, age and ethnic diversity, alongside diverse physical ability and neurodiversity across our workforce; inclusion: creating a fair, safe workplace for everyone that values difference and enables each person to be themselves, reach their potential and thrive at work. The Company will not unlawfully discriminate against any employee, worker or job applicant on the basis of any protected characteristic recognised by current legislation, namely: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage or civil partnership status; pregnancy and maternity; race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin); religion or belief; sex; or sexual orientation...

[ Insert in para 8.2 of claim form ET1: ] The Respondent engaged the Claimant as a [ job title ]. She was based at the Respondent’s premises at [ insert address ], where she was one of only three women employed. [ It was an implied term of the Claimant’s employment contract that the Respondent would not behave in a way calculated or likely to erode the mutual trust and confidence between employer and employee. ] The Claimant contends that the Respondent subjected her to [ a course of ] discrimination, sex-related harassment, harassment of a sexual nature, and victimisation, which encompassed discriminatory and constructive unfair dismissal. On or around [ insert date ], her colleague, [ insert name ], asked her to send him certain sales reports. She informed [ insert name ] that she was in the process of compiling the figures and would supply the full report after lunch. He replied, ‘No need to bite my head off. Is it that...

In the Employment Tribunals Case number: [ Insert case number ] Between: [ Insert name of claimant ] (Claimant) and [ Insert name of respondent ] (Respondent) Claimant's schedule of loss 1. Details Net basic pay per week (after deductions): £[ Insert amount ] Respondent’s yearly pension contributions/annual pension entitlement: [ [ Insert amount, e.g. £x ] OR [ Insert details of pension scheme, e.g. 1/80 final salary scheme with related lump sum ] ] Yearly value of bonus/other employment perks: £[ Insert amount ] Notice period under the contract: [ Insert period, e.g. x weeks or x months ] Claimant’s date of birth: [ Insert date ] Date employment ended: [ [ Insert date ] ] Age at termination: [ [ Insert age ] ] 2. ...

Duty to make reasonable adjustments The Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) establishes a duty to make reasonable adjustments (referred to below as ‘the duty’), which contains three distinct requirements. The third requires that, where a disabled person would, without the provision of an auxiliary aid, face a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter when compared with people who are not disabled, such steps as are reasonable must be taken to supply the auxiliary aid. The situations in which the duty arises differ across workplace settings. Accordingly, the precise circumstances that engage the duty will not be uniform across all settings. For all three requirements, the duty is triggered only where a disabled individual is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non‑disabled people ‘in relation to a “relevant matter”’, and what counts as a ‘relevant matter’ (as defined in EqA 2010, Sch 8 Pt 1) varies according to the particular type of workplace. As a result, application of the duty is context‑specific to the workplace in question....

Disability discrimination Under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) and EqA 2010, Sch 1, Pt 1, a diagnosis of cancer is treated, without further proof, as a disability for EqA 2010 purposes. See Practice Note: Disability. Attention must be given to the various forms of discrimination and other banned conduct contained in EqA 2010, as set out within that legislation and provisions therein. See the part of Practice Note: Disability discrimination headed ‘The basic types of discrimination and other prohibited conduct’, together with the fuller Practice Notes cited there and cross-referred within that section. For EqA 2010 purposes, a ‘dismissal’ also covers situations where an employee’s employment ends (and is not immediately renewed on identical terms) because a particular period has run out, or a particular event has happened, or a particular circumstance has arisen; this includes the ending of fixed-term contracts (EqA 2010, s 39(7)–(8)). Accordingly, the requirement to make reasonable adjustments binds employers when they are considering dismissing an employee; that is, dismissal will...

The Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) The Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) sets out measures to secure equality between men and women in pay and other employment terms where an employee’s work matches that of a comparator of the opposite sex. It accomplishes this by implying a sex equality clause into the employee’s contract of employment, ensuring that the contract reflects the comparator’s terms. This mechanism is intended to guarantee parity of conditions between the employee and their comparator...