Equality | Gender discrimination cases rise by 69%

Despite the heightened awareness around workplace equality from HR, the number of gender discrimination cases brought against employers by individuals at work has drastically risen by 69% within the last 12 months.

According to research released by London-based global employment law firm GQ Littler, 9,340 cases of discrimination were presented to the Employment Tribunal between 2018 and 2019; the number for the period between 2017/18 is far lower at 5,520.

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Whilst this may indicate a worrying rise in cases, GQ Littler argues that a likely cause for the increase is the advent of the #MeToo movement, which shed light on historic sexism and discrimination with high profiles cases including Sir Philip Green of the Arcadia Group, media boss Harvey Weinstein and Ted Baker CEO Ray Kelvin, all of which aided in empowering workers to report such cases, instead of simply letting them happen.

However, the news may also mean that despite the rise in victim empowerment, HR isn’t doing enough to ensure that staff are being treated fairly. The current number is the highest amount of recorded cases since 2013/14, when the number stood at 13,720.