Equality Bill Amended to Ban Pre Employment Health Queries

The Equality Bill was modified by the House of Lords earlier this month. The amendments brought in will create more opportunities for people who suffer from medical conditions.

The Clause 60 of the Equality Bill clearly outlines the scenario in which employees can be asked to furnish details of medical conditions, medications taken or other health related information. Only if the employment offered falls within the specific conditions mentioned here can the employer ask for these details in advance. Otherwise, any such information can be called for only after a job offer has been made to the prospective candidate.

The amendment illegalising pre employment questionnaires has come at the right time and will enable those people with compromised physical or mental health conditions to have equal opportunities in the employment market, health charities feel.

Support for the amendment also came in from the Director of Public Affairs at Rethink, Paul Corry. He said that with such positive changes, people with mental health issues can now get a chance to lead a normal life and make a place for themselves in the society. Discrimination against sufferers of such problems will now come to an end, he hoped. Corry also said that with this amendment people who have a history of mental problems will no longer resort to hiding their medical facts while filling employment applications. This change will increase the transparency in the whole process, he felt.

Until now, the pre-employment questionnaire system let employers reject candidates with a history of medical issues even before they could face an interview panel or undertake other tests to demonstrate their skills for the job in question.

Employers can keep themselves up to date with employment relations developments with an accredited CIPD course such as the Certificate in HR Practice operated by experts in the field at Workplace Law Training.