In order to deliver our strategic aims and excellent public services to the community in Redbridge the council needs a diverse workforce.  The council is committed to becoming an excellent equal opportunities employer. The Personnel service has an important role to play in supporting managers and employees in ensuring the council is compliant with employment law and non discriminatory towards its diverse range of employees.

This section provides further information on Disability and Gender Duty and further information on Equality Legislation.

'Fairness for All'

• The Sex Discrimination Act 1975,
• the Race Relation  (Amendment) Act 2000 and the
• Disability Discrimination (Amendment) Act 2005,

The above all place a duty on the Council to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity.  In addition the Race Relations and the Disabilities (Amendment) Acts, place a further duty on the Council to promote positive relations between different races and to ensure that disabled people are treated equally. 

The Equality Act 2006 introduces a new Gender Duty in 2007 to eliminate sex discrimination and to promote gender equality between men and women.  The Act it will also take into account the other strands of equality and it will make it illegal if people are not treated equally or fairly.

These Duties place an legal obligation on the Council and organisations providing services to, or on behalf of Redbridge Council, to carry out their duties in accordance with this Legislation and take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on the following:

• race
• gender
• disability
• age
• sexual orientation
• religion 

Other legislations affecting the Council's equalities responsibilities include:

• the Equal Pay Act 1970 (Amended) 1983
• the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
• various European Directives. 

In order to meet its duties under the amended Race Relations Act, the Council developed and published the Race Equality Scheme setting out how it will address the specific duties that it has under the Act.  The Scheme has been reviewed and a new generic Equalities Scheme drafted to replace it.  This new Equalities Scheme covers: 

• race
• disability
• gender
• age
• sexual orientation
• religious belief.

The Council has also adopted the Equality Standard for Local Government (ESLG) which is a generic equalities standard allowing the Council to monitor its progress over time by having five levels of achievement which build on themselves.  The Council has currently achieved Level Two of this standard and is working towards Level Three.