Harassment: Is unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual. It applies to all characteristics but pregnancy, maternity, marriage and civil partnership.
– Direct Discrimination: Occurs when an employee is treated less favorably due to a protected characteristic.
– Victimization: Occurs when an employee s treated less favorably because they have made or supported a complaint related to the Act, or they are suspected of doing so.
CIPD head of employment law consultancy support views the equality act 2010 as set out to rationalize provisions and achieve a greater coherence and consistency across the protected characteristics. This also sets out to provide a more enabling legal framework to support the progress of diversity and fairness for everyone in a more uniform way, which enables to achieve a diverse culture where people value it, and treat people with respect, and help to sustain business performance and competitiveness.
Apple Initiative towards diversity and equality
In apple they don’t focus on a particular characteristic, however, we focus on everyone, as diversity is the human experience, said Apple VP of inclusion and diversity, (Panzarino, 2017). Apple new hires reflect more diversity than its current employees, as were 11% of apple new hires were black compared to its 9% of current black employee population, from July 2016 to July 2017, Apple says half of its new hires were from historically underrepresented groups, this is reflected in Apples first diversity and inclusion report since naming Denise Young Smith (Black and female) as VP of diversity and inclusion, (Dickey, 2017). Apple has also reported improvements in gender and ethnic diversity in June 2016, and in its annual diversity and inclusion report, they have stated that they had closed pay gaps by analyzing salaries, bonuses, and annual stock grants, (M. Todd, 2016).
Apple’s VP has assured in an apology sent to members over comments she made at the One Young World Summit in Bogota that Apple’s view and dedication to diversity has not changed. In the apology, she stated that understanding diversity is at the heart of their work and to create an environment that is inclusive of everyone, women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and all underrepresented minorities, other than the commitment of creating an inclusive culture in which having the most diverse workforce, and their work in this area is the most important, commitment at Ap
