Government confirms Equality Act enforcement date

5th July 2010

The Equality Act - which was passed in April - is now due to come into effect in October, with home secretary Theresa May stating that it will make it simpler for companies to adhere to anti-discrimination regulations.

According to People Management, she said: "[It] will help businesses treat staff fairly and meet the needs of a diverse customer base," suggesting that this will benefit disabled employees.

Although the government has failed to specify whether gender pay reporting will become compulsory, the act does prevent organisations from introducing secrecy clauses to restrict workers from discussing their salaries.

Regarding equal pay, a spokesperson from the government equalities office noted that this is under review and an announcement is expected to be made in due course.

This comes after KPMG and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's Labour Market Outlook Employer Focus survey found that 45 per cent of bosses felt the Disability Discrimination Act was helpful for their operations.

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