On 1 October 2023 the Prevention of Discrimination (Guernsey) Ordinance 2022 (the Ordinance) will come into force.
For the first time this will introduce comprehensive legislation in Guernsey to tackle discrimination on the following protected grounds:
- Disability;
- Race;
- Carer Status;
- Sexual Orientation; and
- Religion or belief.
In order to assist employers, service providers and certain other organisations to comply with the Ordinance the States of Guernsey, working with Appleby, have prepared two separate guides to the Ordinance. The guides have now been published on its new Employment and Equal Opportunities Service website. The first of those guides focusses on the discrimination in the employment relationship, with the second focussing on how the Ordinance will apply to service providers, schools and education providers (from 1 September 2025), clubs and associations and accommodation providers.
All organisations will need to undertake a review of their existing policies and procedures in light of the Ordinance’s introduction. While many of the concepts introduced by the Ordinance are similar to the equivalent discrimination law in Jersey and the UK, there are a number of important distinctions, such as having carer status as a separate protected ground.
In addition to the official guides, Appleby have prepared their own short Guernsey Discrimination Guide to the impact of the Ordinance aimed at employers.
Access the Guernsey Discrimination Guide here or for more specific advice on discrimination law in Guernsey, please contact either Richard Sheldon or James Gallimore.
