Equal Opportunities
It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from, everybody has the right and opportunity to work. If you've got a particular issue on your mind, this section will provide you with a selection of information on equal opportunities within the science, engineering and technology (SET) sector.
Gender
Women are increasingly challenging men in the global work environment, find out more about some of the organisations working to promote the wide variety of opportunities available for women in the SET sector.
Ethnicity
Research, by the Royal Society, shows that many ethnic minority groups are actually over-represented in the SET student population relative to their numbers in the population, but with some ethnic groups still drastically under-represented there are a number of organisations out there to support and encourage ethnic minorities into SET.
Disability
It is unlawful under the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably because of a reason relating to their disability, when applying for or during employment, without a justifiable reason.
Sexuality
From 1 December 2003, under the the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, gay and bisexual workers are legally protected from discrimination and harassment at work. The legislation bans discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in employment and vocational training. This legislation specifically bans direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation because of sexual orientation. That means the law protects all people from sexual orientation discrimination: lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and heterosexuals/straight people.
