Manufacturers seek guidance on addressing equality issues

Handling discrimination and equal opportunities issues has "risen significantly" up the list of companies' key concerns, according to one of the biggest employers' organisations in the UK.

The finding comes in the latest half-yearly Burning issues report, published by the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF), on employment law problems facing manufacturers from July to December 2006.

As in the previous six months, the top three issues were disciplinary issues, redundancy/reorganisation and employment contracts. But discrimination and equal opportunities issues shot from 10th place to fourth.

The EEF - which provides employment advice for its membership of 6,000 manufacturing firms - said it had received more than twice the usual number of requests on equality and discrimination issues following the introduction of new regulations on age equality last October.

The remaining six issues, in order of importance to employers, were absence management, grievances, termination of employment, ill health, family/maternity issues and tribunals.

In the latter half of last year, the EEF received over 23,000 information requests, 80% of which were accounted for by the top 10 issues.

Its director of legal and employment affairs, Peter Schofield, said: "In the coming period we expect to see more enquiries associated with extended maternity pay and rights to request flexible working, as new legislation in these areas comes into effect."