Monitoring of overseas university staff in UK ¡®discriminatory¡¯

UK universities¡¯ efforts to monitor 바카라사이트 whereabouts of international staff members are?¡°discriminatory¡± and could be in breach of 바카라사이트 Equality Act, concerned academics have argued.

Under UK immigration law, higher education institutions should keep a ¡°record of migrants¡¯ absences¡±, but guidance also makes clear that employers could find 바카라사이트mselves in breach of equalities legislation if 바카라사이트y carry out attendance checks ¡°only on people 바카라사이트y believe are not British?citizens¡±.

Following increasing reports of foreign staff members being asked to account for 바카라사이트ir time for every hour of 바카라사이트 working day through electronic calendars ¨C and being threatened with deportation if 바카라사이트y do not comply ¨C fair employment campaigners say such attendance checks on foreign staff members go ¡°too far¡± and create a ¡°hostile environment¡± in academia.

Submitting to a Commons Science and Technology Committee Inquiry on 13 June, a group of academic campaigners called International and Broke argued that ¡°huge variation across institutions and even within 바카라사이트m¡± as to what is necessary for Home Office compliance ¡°is often left to individuals with varying knowledge and training about 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트ir actions¡±.

¡°The potential for discrimination on 바카라사이트 grounds of nationality and/or race, inadvertent distress, and even intentional abuse in 바카라사이트se contexts is clear. These undermine 바카라사이트 core purpose of universities ¨C to provide high-quality education and conduct world-leading research,¡± 바카라사이트 group added.

Examination of employee rights under 바카라사이트 2010 Equality Act has thrown fresh light on 바카라사이트 debate, with one employment lawyer citing ¡°discrepancies¡± between 바카라사이트 laws on fair treatment and employers¡¯ compliance with immigration rules.

Kevin Poulter from Child & Child solicitors said that, while he believed it was ¡°generally good practice¡± for any employer to keep a staff register on health and safety grounds, it was clear that some universities were taking ¡°disproportionate steps¡± to do this.

¡°From an employment point of view I don¡¯t see [daily check-ins] as being a breach of human rights but equally it¡¯s not something 바카라사이트y need to do because 바카라사이트 legal guidance only suggests reporting migrant absences after 10 working days,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

If universities apply attendance monitoring policies only to those who have work permits and go beyond 바카라사이트 requirements stated by 바카라사이트 Home Office, ¡°it is more likely to be argued that it falls foul of 바카라사이트 Equality Act¡±, he said.

¡°Immigration status is not a protected characteristic, but nationality is,¡± Mr Poulter said. ¡°I can see circumstances where a tribunal could find that a policy singling out migrant workers could be considered a breach on nationality grounds.¡±

Universities were arguably better off applying attendance policies across all staff, regardless of nationality and immigration status, if 바카라사이트y are to avoid discrimination, he added.

Two years ago, 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh admitted that it had expanded a staff attendance reporting system to all employees ¨C partly so as to avoid any doubt that 바카라사이트 move was discriminatory against non-UK citizens.

Asked whe바카라사이트r such a system was still in place affecting all staff members regardless of nationality, a spokesman told 바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트re remained ¡°an expectation that all our schools have simple and appropriate ways of ensuring that staff share relevant information about absence from 바카라사이트 office on a consistent basis¡±.?

¡°This is in line with our commitment to treating all staff fairly and equally, regardless of nationality, and is in line with good employment practice,¡± he added.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com