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Positive action
Reverse or affirmative action is illegal in the UK. Positive action however describes measures targeted at a particular group that are intended to redress past discrimination or to offset the disadvantages arising from existing attitudes, behaviours and structures. Lawful measures can include:
- Targeting job training at people of particular racial groups, or either gender, who have been under-represented in certain occupations or grades during the previous 12 months, or encouraging them to apply for such work.
- Providing facilities to meet any specific educational, training or welfare needs identified for a specific racial group.
- Measures to provide training and special encouragement for returners to the labour market after a period of time discharging domestic or family responsibilities.
- Special encouragement such as targeted advertising and recruitment literature, reserving places for one gender on training courses or providing taster courses in non-traditional areas.
For more information, visit the Discrimination Law section of this toolkit.
Positive discrimination
Positive discrimination is not to be confused with positive action. Positive discrimination, affirmative action or reverse discrimination, generally means choosing someone solely on the grounds of their gender or racial group, and not on their abilities. Positive discrimination is illegal under UK anti-discrimination law.
NB Under the Disability Discrimination Act, positive discrimination in favour of disabled people is not unlawful. In fact, employers and service providers are under a positive legal duty to make all reasonable adjustments in favour of disabled people.
For more information, visit the Discrimination Law section of this toolkit.
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