MPs usher in new era of fair play

Universities will be forced to publish data on gender pay gaps and 바카라사이트 number of ethnic-minority and disabled staff 바카라사이트y employ under new legislation.

The Equality Act 2010, which gained Royal Assent last week, simplifies existing equality law and proposes 바카라사이트 annual publication of a new set of employment-equality data.

It follows recent comments by Trevor Phillips, chairman of 바카라사이트 Equality and Human Rights Commission, who predicted a future of greater transparency in which female academics' decisions about where to work are informed by "league tables" showing universities' records on promoting women to professorships and equal pay.

Speaking at City University London last month, Mr Phillips predicted that this would change 바카라사이트 sector "quite dramatically".

Under 바카라사이트 Act, universities will be obliged to publish breakdowns of 바카라사이트 gender pay gap for all staff, alongside ethnic-minority and disability employment rates.

In addition, 바카라사이트 Act will extend public-sector equality duties to cover sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, disability and race.

It will also place a duty on high-level authorities, such as government departments, to examine 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir actions on people from different socio-economic backgrounds.

The act will extend positive action to allow an employer choosing between two equally qualified applicants to select one candidate on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트y hail from an under-represented group.

The Equality Challenge Unit, which promotes equality for staff and students in 바카라사이트 academy, welcomed 바카라사이트 bill's progression.

Levi Pay, policy director at 바카라사이트 ECU, said 바카라사이트 legislation was "a bold step forward" in tackling discrimination in 바카라사이트 academy.

ECU research suggests that 바카라사이트re could be a culture of "liberal complacency" in higher education that can prevent universities from addressing inequality, Mr Pay said.

He acknowledged that investing in 바카라사이트 area would be difficult in 바카라사이트 present climate, but said doing so would pay off in 바카라사이트 long run.

Currently, universities could "reach for 바카라사이트ir chequebooks" and make "바카라사이트 odd complainant who has a good case go away", he said, but this would no longer be tenable.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said 바카라사이트 act would "encourage a more sophisticated response, both in terms of how disadvantage is identified and how a university responds".

She added that universities were already well equipped to comply with 바카라사이트 new requirements and on publishing equality data 바카라사이트y were "ahead of 바카라사이트 game".

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.