Sex Discrimination

Q        Our organisation is concerned with providing care to women who have suffered from domestic abuse.  Are we safe to specify in job adverts that applicants for our intimate support roles are women?

A        Yes, this would be classed as a genuine occupational requirement.  However, to avoid claims of sex discrimination it is imperative that you only apply this requirement to jobs where it is a genuine requirement and do not apply this condition to all jobs within the organisation.

Q        We have had an internal application from a man who wants to transfer to a vacancy we have in the secretarial team.  We are concerned that he won't fit in with the existing all female team, can we discuss this with him?

A        You need to be very careful suggesting that he won't fit in on the basis of his sex.  If he has the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications to do the role, the fact that he is a man is irrelevant. Refusal to offer him the job on this basis would be an act of sex discrimination.

See also:

• Discrimination

• Equal Opportunities