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What can I do about sex discrimination at work?

This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

There are laws against sex discrimination to protect both women and men. Discrimination can come from anywhere. It could be a colleague, department supervisor, your manager or your employer.

If you think you are being treated less favourably than a man, the first thing to do is to have a word with other colleagues to see if they are receiving similar treatment or if they have noticed your less favourable treatment. Find out if anyone is willing to stand by you. If you can, try to speak personally to the person discriminating against you and ask them to stop or warn them that you will complain officially.

If things do not improve, talk to your union if you are a member, and, if need be, raise a written grievance with your employer. Keeping a record of events, dates and times of the discriminatory behaviour will help you if you need to do this, as your grievance should be as detailed and accurate as you can make it. The grievance should be signed and dated, and you should keep a copy. It is likely that you will be met with vigorous denials by the person you are accusing and you may have to prove that your allegations of sexual discrimination are serious.

If you do not get satisfaction through your initial actions, the final step could be to take the case to an Employment Tribunal. You may need to raise a written grievance with your employer first.  There are strict time limits involved, so get advice early on.

If you have experienced discrimination, you can also get help from the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) discrimination helpline.

More about the EASS helpline

For more information about discrimination at work, see Basic rights at work.

For more information about procedures you must follow when you complain about discrimination at work, in England, Wales and Scotland, see Sorting out problems at work and in Northern Ireland, see Dealing with grievances, dismissal and disciplinary action at work.

For more information about unfair dismissal because of discrimination, see Dismissal.

For more information about sex discrimination, see Taking action about sex discrimination.

Other Frequently asked questions about civil rights: