The Equality Commission conducted a formal investigation into the employment experiences of pregnant women and mothers, on maternity leave and on their return to work.
We explored whether pregnant women and mothers receive equal treatment in employment and identified both barriers to equality of opportunity and employment practices that women have found helpful and supportive.
Almost 1,000 women across Northern Ireland responded to an online survey sharing their experiences through focus group discussions and interviews. Employers were also given the opportunity to tell us about their experiences, concerns and good practices.
The findings were launched at Titanic, Belfast, on 29 November 2016 – read the press release
Download the investigation's findings:
Following the investigation the Commission produced new guidance for employers on pregnancy and maternity in the workplace:
If you would like to know more about the investigation please contact Rosalynd Harkness, email: Rharkness@equalityni.org, Tel: 028 90500574
The 'Teachers' Exception'
An exception dating back to the original drafting of Fair Employment legislation in Northern Ireland means that teachers in schools are not protected in employment against discrimination on the grounds of religious belief.
We carried out a review of the situation in 2004, which concluded that the continuation of the exception will not further equality of opportunity for teachers.
We recommend the removal of the exception in the employment provisions of Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998 in relation to the recruitment of teachers in secondary level schools, and early consideration as to whether the exception should also be removed for primary level schools.
The Commission’s views on limiting the exception to primary schools only – that is, removing it from secondary level schools - are expressed at the beginning of our Teacher Exception Report.
The removal of the teachers’ exception is again recommended (Proposal 6) in our current proposals for legislative reform and has been raised with Junior Ministers and the OFMDFM Assembly Committee.
This is a 2013 update on the 2008 investigation
Overall, researchers found that there has been much activity by health services in the five years under review, which has provided the foundation for improving the accessibility of health information for people with a learning disability. It will take further time for the overall benefits of policies and strategies to be seen.
Progress is being monitored through the Bamford Review Action Plans, through the Learning Disability Services Framework and through the review of strategies such as the GAIN Guidelines. Systems have been set up to ensure that people with a learning disability have the opportunity to voice their opinion about the services provided. It remains important that health information is accessible and it is encouraging that the health service has committed through a number of measurable strategies to do this.
Review of the Formal Investigation into the Accessibility of Health Information for People with a Learning Disability in NI:
A formal investigation under the Disability Discrimination legislation to evaluate the accessibility of health information in Northern Ireland for people with a learning disability.
This 2008 investigation identified that some healthcare professionals do not adjust their communication style for people with a learning disability. Other barriers to effective communication included attitude and levels of awareness as well as a lack of familiarity of the needs of people with a learning disability by health professionals.
Time issues, both in terms of waiting for a consultation (which, in turn, increased anxiety levels) and the actual amount of time available for consultation itself were also highlighted.
The investigation found that written information is generally not produced in an accessible format suitable for people with a learning disability.
The report outlined a series of low-cost, practical recommendations. These include the production of appropriate written information - addressing style, size, use of pictures and language issues; communication training for health service practitioners; the maintenance of comprehensive health records; liaison with a Community Learning Disability Team; use of Patient Liaison Nurses and the option of a Passport System to assist individuals with their communications needs.
Our investigation identified a number of improvements which the recruitment sector can make to promote equality of opportunity for migrant workers.
Our recommendations aim to address the issues which hinder equality of opportunity such as language barriers, awareness of rights and practices which do not meet the legislative requirements.