“I’m a white man and I’ve been discriminated against”
Don’t assume that discrimination is always against women or minority groups such as BAME or disabled or LGBTQ+ people. It is possible to be a white man and still be discriminated against.
This article describes an example from early 2023.
The story
The Armed Forces have been facing claims of a sexual harassment crisis which has led to a struggle to retain female staff. In an attempt to address this, the Royal Air Force (RAF) set diversity targets.
Group Captain Lizz Nicholl, the force’s head of recruitment, pointed out that 160 white men had been discriminated against and felt she had no choice but to resign.
RAF Chief Sir Mike Wigston described the targets as “challenging” and “aspirational” but admitted they were “unattainable” which put an “intolerable stress” on recruiters.
What this means to you
It is admirable for organisations to set targets for diversity, equity and inclusion. But the point of that objective is that everyone is treated equitably, which includes white men.
The Equality Act 2010 protects you against discrimination for any of these reasons (called ‘protected characteristics’):
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
If you’re a white man, and you don’t get offered a job, or training, or promotion, or anything else that other people are offered due to your colour or gender, you may have a claim for race and sex discrimination.
How we help
We are employment lawyers who support employees who’ve been mistreated at work. This includes not being offered a job in the first place, if it’s discriminatory.
We’ll support you and hold your hand (metaphorically) throughout the process of making a complaint, even taking you case to the employment tribunal if necessary. What’s more, you may not have to pay our fee, as the employer should usually cover it.
If the tribunal finds in your favour, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the mistreatment.
Give us a call to tell us your story – the initial conversation is free and without obligation. We’ll let you know what to do next.
Related reading
For more information on this subject, you might find our related articles useful:
- I’m white and I’ve been discriminated against
- I was refused a job because I’m a white man
- My colleague is racist
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