Page 6 - Race Equality in Education Pocket Book

Who is it for?

The Race Equality pocket Book applies to employer, schools,

colleges, higher education institutions and to work-based learning

providers in England. The information it contains is relevant to staff
in their roles as employers, employees, managers, policy makers

and learning providers. Knowing and applying the rules contained in

the Race Equality pocket Book could significantly reduce unlawful
racial discrimination.

Promoting racial equality, tackling all forms of racial discrimination

and fostering good race relationships between diverse groups is

part of the responsibility and duty to uphold equality law that we all
share as employers, employees and learning providers. The Pocket

Book can help us to understand what is required and discharge that
responsibility well.

The consequences of not complying with the law

If you break equality law in the course of your work, there can be

serious consequences both for your employer and for you.

• The employer may be held liable and pay compensation

As employers, organisations are liable for what their employees do
during their employment, even if the employer did not know about it

or approve of it. This includes things that happen at work-related
events outside the workplace, such as work-related social events.

However, the employer may not be liable if the employer can show
that the organisation took steps to prevent the employee doing the

act, or doing anything of that description, for example by providing

training on what is unacceptable.

• You may be held personally liable and pay compensation

What many people do not realise is that individual employees are

also personally liable for any acts of discrimination, harassment or

victimisation that they carry out during the course of their
employment, even if they did not know their actions and behaviours

were against the law.

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