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Discrimination at work

The principle of equal treatment requires that all people, and in the context of the workplace all workers, have the right to receive the same treatment, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of criteria such as gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. EU law prohibits discrimination on an increasing number of grounds, meaning that it is difficult for employers to treat people differently without encountering a charge of discrimination and needing to establish an objective justification for doing so. Equal treatment is one of the main principles of the Pillar of Social Rights.

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Eurofound expert(s)

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Tina Weber is a research manager in Eurofound’s Working Life unit. Having previously shared her time between the Employment and Working Life units, her work has focused on labour...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
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​Martina Bisello is a research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. Her research interests include gender gaps in the labour market, occupational change and the impact of...

Research manager,
Employment research unit
Publications results (7)

Using data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 and building on a theoretical model that differentiates between job stressors and job resources, this report examines key psychosocial risks in the workplace and their impact on health.

23 November 2023

This report assesses the role of the social partners in tackling workplace discrimination. Against the background of EU and national anti-discrimination legislation, it highlights the extent to which the need to tackle discrimination on different grounds is on the radar of cross-sectoral social

31 August 2020

While discrimination against women at work has long been a mainstream topic in research literature, only marginal attention has been paid to discrimination against men. A number of factors may be responsible for this, including change in traditional occupational roles, cultural perceptions of the

27 March 2018

This article discusses the issues related to religion in the workplace, a topic that has received considerable attention in the media recently. An overview of significant cases of dispute between employers and employees is provided, as well as examples of social partners’ initiatives to accommodate

31 July 2017

This article provides an overview of surveys on the working life experiences of LGBT people in the EU and initiatives that aim to tackle this issue. The information is based on contributions from Eurofound’s network of European correspondents.

13 May 2016

This report examines employment opportunities for people with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and mental health problems in the EU28 Member States and Norway. People with a chronic disease may have a

14 November 2014

This booklet summarises the main findings from national reports of all European Union Member States and Norway on the prevention of racism at the workplace. It reviews the present situation in the labour market regarding discrimination against migrant workers and ethnic minorities, offering a choice

09 April 2001
Publication
Report summary
Online resources results (71)

Conference highlights equal opportunities

A meeting organised in July 1999 by the Economic and Social Council and the Commission for Equality in Employment and in the Workplace provided an opportunity to assess the progress of equal opportunities for women and men in Portugal. Various initiatives have been taken under the Global Plan for

Government and social partners cooperate to tackle racial discrimination

At a round-table meeting held on 11 May 1999 at the Ministry for Employment and Solidarity, the government and social partners launched a new stage in the fight against racial discrimination at the workplace in France. This initial meeting concluded with the unanimous endorsement of a joint

Three new anti-discrimination Acts approved by parliament

On 1 May 1999, three Acts banning discrimination in working life come into force in Sweden. The Acts apply to discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin, discrimination against workers with disabilities and discrimination by the employer because of the sexual orientation of a worker.

Social partners reach draft framework agreement on fixed-term contracts

On 14 January 1999, the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reached a draft framework agreement on

Employers and unions agree on the promotion of a multicultural working life

The issue of legislating against discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin in working life has been debated in Sweden for the last 30 years, but it was not until 1994 that the first law was enacted. To the very last, even one of the trade union confederations asserted that collective agreements

Equal opportunities dominate bargaining in footwear industry

Bargaining over equal opportunities has been a central element in the 1998 round of negotiations in the Portuguese footwear industry. Even though equal rights and, above all, equal pay are guaranteed by law and collective bargaining, inequality continues because of structural and cultural factors

Working hours and equal opportunities in recent company-level bargaining

The Italian Government's October 1997 commitment to reducing the working week to 35 hours, starting from 1 January 2001, has given new impetus to the debate over the reduction of working hours. In particular, the possibility of obtaining such a reduction by law has been openly questioned. This

Amsterdam Treaty brings small advances for employment and social policy

The main objectives of the draft Treaty agreed in Amsterdam in June are to:

Social partners reach framework agreement on part-time work

On 6 June 1997, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) formally signed a European framework

First collective agreement against racial discrimination at work

As part of the European Year against Racism, a collective agreement signed in the temporary work sector in Belgium has laid down a "Code of Best Practice" on the prevention of racial discrimination against foreign temporary workers. We review the agreement, signed in May 1996, and its background.


Blogs results (4)
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Following a sluggish response by many Member States to introduce or modify gender pay transparency measures, as it recommended in 2014, the European Commission intends to table a proposal for EU-level legislation on pay transparency later in 2020. In this context, a new Eurofound study investigated

6 November 2020
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In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Karel Fric and Camilla Galli da Bino look at the issue of discrimination against men in the workplace in Europe, and the current lack of research in this area.

1 May 2018
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This article, originally posted in Social Europe, is based on a comprehensive overview of surveys on the working life experiences of LGBT people in the EU. 17 May is International day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face distinct

17 May 2016
Data results (1)
27 October 2023
Reference period:

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