Expert Witness: Discrimination once removed

Implications of the Coleman case

Summary:

The European Court of Justice has found that the framework directive on equal treatment in employment and occupation is intended to cover direct discrimination by association. Diana Kloss explains what the landmark decision in Coleman v Attridge Law will mean for carers of disabled people and others who may be discriminated against ‘by association’.

IT has always been recognised that discrimination may impact not only on those in the victimised class but also on their supporters. For example, in Weathersfield Ltd v Sargent the claimant, who was white, resigned from her employment as a receptionist with a car hire firm after she was instructed to tell black and Asian callers that that there were…

Diana Kloss is a barrister, part-time employment judge, Acas arbitrator and author.

Author: Kloss D

Tags case law disability discrimination

Occupational Health at Work October/November 2008 (vol. 05/3) pp35-36

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