Possible discrimination?

chilto

My company have given all parents an extra 10 days paid leave for the year 2020 and again for 2021. I know this won’t be a popular thought, but as a child free employee, I feel this is unfair and in fact discriminatory to child-free employees. Can anyone advise?

[Deleted User]

chilto said:

My company have given all parents an extra 10 days paid leave for the year 2020 and again for 2021. I know this won’t be a popular thought, but as a child free employee, I feel this is unfair and in fact discriminatory to child-free employees. Can anyone advise?

 Unfair maybe. Discrimination no because its not on any of the grounds laid out in Law. 

 Maybe fair and a great employer given how much unpaid leave parents have had to take so far with schools being shut? 

bartelbe

My advice would be not to make a big deal about it, just have a private word with management about the issue and point out how child free staff feel. Management might not have even considered the issue. However that does depend on your employer, if they are likely to take that badly, keep your head down. Not worth the risk in this employment market.

I'm afraid that workplaces are often full of these double standards. For example, the smokers in my workplace nip off for multiple fag breaks every day. Which for some reason they don't count as time off work. Some of them even have the nerve to complain about the work ethic of other, non-smoking staff, which I find frankly hilarious.

However it often isn't worth the hassle to bring these things up. It is what it is.

Thrugelmir

No doubt the management will be looking at other ways to take care of the other employees. 

theoretica

It's all parents so not sex discrimination - I wonder if there is enough of a correlation between being a parent and being (not) married that that protected characteristic is relevant. 

chilto

theoretica said:

It's all parents so not sex discrimination - I wonder if there is enough of a correlation between being a parent and being (not) married that that protected characteristic is relevant. 

Or being homosexual? 

Also effectively taking a 4% pay cut for the extra 10 days work...

[Deleted User]

chilto said:

theoretica said:

It's all parents so not sex discrimination - I wonder if there is enough of a correlation between being a parent and being (not) married that that protected characteristic is relevant. 

Or being homosexual? 

Also effectively taking a 4% pay cut for the extra 10 days work...

 Homosexuals have children all the time! 

Nobody has been given a pay cut!  

bartelbe

_shel said:

chilto said:

theoretica said:

It's all parents so not sex discrimination - I wonder if there is enough of a correlation between being a parent and being (not) married that that protected characteristic is relevant. 

Or being homosexual? 

Also effectively taking a 4% pay cut for the extra 10 days work...

 Homosexuals have children all the time! 

Nobody has been given a pay cut!  

You're right, what has effectively happened is employees with children has received a payrise their childless colleagues have not received.

Undervalued

bartelbe said:

_shel said:

chilto said:

theoretica said:

It's all parents so not sex discrimination - I wonder if there is enough of a correlation between being a parent and being (not) married that that protected characteristic is relevant. 

Or being homosexual? 

Also effectively taking a 4% pay cut for the extra 10 days work...

 Homosexuals have children all the time! 

Nobody has been given a pay cut!  

You're right, what has effectively happened is employees with children has received a payrise their childless colleagues have not received.

Maybe, but as has been explained it is not unlawful.

[Deleted User]

 Totally legal to have different staff doing the same job on different pay and terms & conditions. 

 If you want a pay rise approach your manager, tactfully and not accusingly 

TBagpuss

I don't think it would be unlawful discrimination as it isn't treating anyone differently based on a protected status.
I think that it would potentially be a reason to ask for extra time if you have other caring responsibilities - in the same way that emergency leave for dependents can be used whether the dependent in question is a child, or an elderly parent who lives with you 
And meanwhile, take it as a indication that the employer is one which does try to look after its employees - this particular way of doing it feels unfair to you but may well reflect a wider ethos which may benefit you in other ways.