Equality & Diversity

Our commitment to Equality and Diversity

(a) Commitment

FDR Law is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and to promoting equality and diversity within our policies, practices and procedures.

We are also committed to promoting equality and diversity in the practice.

This applies to our professional dealings with clients, staff and members, other solicitors, barristers, and third parties.

We shall treat everyone equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect regardless of:

1. sex (including marital status, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity and paternity);
2. sexual orientation (including civil partnership status);
3. race or racial group (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins);
4. religion or belief;
5. age;
6. caring responsibility; or
7. disability.

In the Equality Act 2010 these are referred to as “protected characteristics”.

(b) Legislation

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that we and our staff do not unlawfully discriminate under:

1. the Employment Rights Act 1996;
2. the Human Rights Act 1998;
3. the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000;
4. the Fixed-Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000;
5. the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003;
6. the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief Act) Regulations 2003;
7. the Disability Discrimination Act 2005;
8. the Work and Families Act 2006;
9. the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006;
10. the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006;
11. the Equality Act 2010; and

any other relevant legislation in force from time to time relating to discrimination in employment and the provision of goods, facilities or services.

(c) Discrimination

Discrimination can take many forms and will include:

Direct Discrimination - where someone may be treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic.

Associative Discrimination – this is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Discrimination by Perception – where someone may suffer direct discrimination because others think they possess a particular protected characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination – which can occur when a rule or policy applies to everyone but disadvantages those with a particular protected characteristic.

Harassment – which may occur where an employee finds certain behaviour offensive because it relates to any of the protected characteristics even if it is not directed at them.

Harassment by a third party – which may occur where an employee suffers harassment related to any of the protected characteristics during the course of his or her employment by a party not employed by us.

Victimisation – if someone is treated badly because they made or supported a complaint or grievance under this Policy.

It is now a legal requirement from the SRA to collect diversity data on the legal profession.

FDR will be required to submit its first diversity report in 2025.

All partners and employees in every legal firm are asked annually to complete a short online survey providing diversity information about themselves anonymously.

The ultimate aim of the collection of diversity data is to help encourage a strong, independent, diverse and effective legal profession, which FDR strongly supports.