Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
organisations that publicly announce that they are
'equal opportunities employers', or that they are
'working towards equality of opportunity'. Hotels, local
authority tourism departments, tour operators, airlines,
visitor attractions and voluntary sector providers, to
name but a few, have all followed this trend. However,
in the same way that an organisation may say that it
is 'committed to customer care', there must be a fi rm
organisational policy that puts the words into action
and proves that a commitment to equal opportunities
for its workforce is more than just a statement of good
intent.
transfer, training or receipt of other employment
benefi ts.
4.
Race discrimination - Britain is a multi-cultural and
multi-ethnic society where people of all races live
and work together. The Race Relations Act makes
it unlawful to treat a person less favourably than
another on racial grounds - this covers race, colour,
nationality and national or ethnic origin. When it
comes to employing staff, the Act states that it
is illegal to discriminate against anybody on the
grounds of race by treating them less favourably in
areas such as recruitment, training and promotion.
Any employer who does so is guilty of direct
discrimination.
The four most common types of discrimination that
employees, or those seeking employment, in travel
and tourism are likely to encounter are:
Grievance and disciplinary procedures
1.
Discrimination related to equal pay - The Equal Pay
Act was introduced in 1970 to abolish discrimination
between men and women in pay and other terms
of their contracts of employment. It was amended
in 1983 to give all workers the right to equal pay for
work of equal value, when the work being carried
out by both male and female employees is the
same or broadly similar.
Most employees in travel and tourism who are given
clear guidance as to the standards of work and conduct
expected of them will be motivated and professional
enough to exercise effective self-discipline and
work well with a minimum of supervision. However,
it is sometimes necessary for management to take
action to deal with employees whose behaviour,
work performance or absenteeism are giving cause
for concern. Minor problems of this nature are best
dealt with informally by the employee's immediate
supervisor in the fi rst instance, but for serious or more
persistent problems, it will be necessary to implement
the organisation's formal disciplinary procedures.
2.
Sex discrimination - The Sex Discrimination Act
(which applies to men and women of any age,
including children) was originally introduced in 1975
to outlaw sex discrimination against individuals
in the areas of employment, vocational training,
education, the provision of goods, facilities and
services, and housing. Employers must not
discriminate on the basis of a person's gender by
treating them less favourably when it comes to
recruitment, training and promotion.
In any travel and tourism organisation, it is essential for
the management to follow the disciplinary procedures
to the letter, so as ensure fairness for the employee and
to reduce the likelihood of a claim for unfair dismissal
being brought at an industrial tribunal. Such claims
can be very costly, both in terms of staff time devoted
to contesting the case and any fi nancial settlement
that may arise. Unless the problem is one of gross
misconduct, which could include such matters as being
drunk on duty, theft or fraud, assault, causing damage
to company property or the misuse of equipment,
dismissal should be regarded as the fi nal stage of
the procedure and is only considered after formal
warnings and other sanctions have failed to solve the
problem. Other sanctions available to management
include demotion, suspension without pay and loss of
promotion opportunities.
3.
Discrimination of the grounds of disability -
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
introduced, over a period of time, new laws and
measures aimed at ending the discrimination
faced by many people with disabilities. It gives
disabled people new rights in employment, access
to goods, facilities, services and premises, and the
management, buying or renting of property. The
Act relates to all areas of employment including
recruitment, terms and conditions of service,
arrangements made for people who become
disabled (or who have a disability which worsens),
pensions, dismissal and all aspects of promotion,
