"No jokes " for UK employees

A new law could leave employers facing compensation pay-outs if controversial comments or jokes are heard in the workplace. The Equality Act was passed under the last Government and is the biggest overhaul of discrimination law in decades. But some business groups have warned that it could increase red tape for employers, while gender equality campaigners said it did not go far enough to tackle the pay gap between men and women.

Solicitor Eleanor Scholey, from Harbottle & Lewis, said it meant employees could bring a harassment claim against a company based on disability discrimination if they were offended - whether they were disabled or not. "Similarly, if I have caring responsibilities outside work time for a disabled or elderly relative and I am overlooked for promotion on an assumption that I will not be as focused on the role, I could bring a disability or age discrimination claim."