Discrimination in employment
Birmingham Law Centre has funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission to provide advice and representation on discrimination in employment.
BLC’s employment specialist, Faith Ryan, is a solicitor who held a number of posts within her trade union providing advice and representation to her members over 15 years. It was this work that provided Faith with her employment law foundation and her passion for protecting the rights of workers.
It is difficult for employees to secure representation, whilst employers will generally have unlimited resources that they can use to defend any claims issued against them. Very few firms offer employment law under a Legal Help contract because Legal Help doesn’t pay for the time used representing clients in a tribunal. Some firms offer a “no win no fee” arrangement, but as it is unusual to get costs from the other side if you win a tribunal claim, the fee has to come out of the employee's compensation award.
Happily the funding that we have secured from the EHRC means that we are able to provide advice and representation on all forms of discrimination in employment regardless of a person’s income. This means that we can help those that might not qualify for help under a Legal Help contract because their income is too high.
This new project enables us to offer an extensive service to those suffering discrimination in the workplace because of their race, sex, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientation or disability. We can advise on using the employer’s grievance procedures, internal disciplinary procedures and employment tribunal claims for those that have been dismissed or wish to bring a claim of discrimination in the employment tribunal.
The service that we can offer includes telephone advice.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against at work because of your age, disability, race, sex, sexual orientation or religious beliefs, please contact Faith Ryan on 0121 766 0446 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, or email Faith@birminghamlawcentre.org.uk. Faith will discuss your case with you and if we are able to offer further assistance she will offer you an appointment to see her.
