Government proposals for a Single Equality Bill have come under fire after critics said they failed to go far enough to represent real progress.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the proposals outlined in the mooted bill do nothing to reduce the burden on employers trying to understand the complexities of diversity.
The government’s consultation on the issue closed this week, but CIPD diversity adviser Dianah Worman said the green paper risked creating a compliance culture of box-ticking to minimum standards.
"If Government is serious about stopping the marginalisation of people in the labour market then it must show a greater willingness to work with employers to develop a piece of legislation that will actually work," she said, adding that it was essential to support the progress of diversity in UK workplaces.
Sam Mercer, chief executive of the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), also criticised the proposed legislation, claiming it required a raft of exemptions and would be too blunt to solve the complex issues involved.
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