Equality Act 2010 Explanatory Notes

Contributions to personal pension schemes: paragraph 16
Effect

842.This paragraph gives a Minister of the Crown the power to specify practices, actions or decisions relating to age in respect of employer contributions to personal pension schemes that an employer can use without breaching a non-discrimination rule.

Background

843.Exceptions to the non-discrimination rule in relation to age in respect of employer contributions to personal pension schemes were previously set out at Schedule 2 to the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1031).

Part 3: Other exceptions
Non-contractual payments to women on maternity leave: paragraph 17
Effect

844.This paragraph sets out an exception to the prohibitions on pregnancy and maternity discrimination by employers which allows an employer not to offer an applicant or provide an employee who is on maternity leave the benefits of the non-contractual terms and conditions of her employment. It also explains what is and is not covered by this exception.

Background

845.This paragraph is designed to replicate the effect of provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. It does for non-contractual terms and conditions of employment relating to pay what is done for contractual terms in section 74.

Examples
  • An employer would not have to pay a woman on maternity leave a discretionary bonus if the only condition of eligibility for the bonus was that the employee must be in active employment at the time of payment.

  • If a discretionary bonus amounted to retrospective payment for time worked over a specific period (such as the past year) during which a woman took maternity leave, the employer must include any part of that period the woman spent on compulsory maternity leave in calculating the bonus.

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