Discrimination still a problem in the Belgian workplace
according to survey by Field Fisher Waterhouse
In a survey of Belgian companies, 80% believe the
issue of discrimination is under control. However the results of
the survey by Field Fisher Waterhouse give another impression,
especially regarding the attitude towards older or pregnant
employees.
The research carried out by Olivier Rijckaert, a partner specialising in
employment law at Field Fisher Waterhouse Brussels, also uncovered
discriminatory attitudes towards employees with a family, or
employees who are unable to work.
Olivier Rijckaert said: “It appears that, one year
after the enactment of the anti-discrimination legislation of 10
May 2007, Belgian companies still have a lot to do in order to
implement the legislation within their organisations.”
The survey found that where there are two job
applicants with the same professional qualification, and one of the
candidates is pregnant, 56% of the companies admitted they would
rather hire the other candidate. Olivier said: “This represents
blatant discrimination against pregnant women.”
When a collective dismissal is necessary, 60% of
the large companies prefer to dismiss older employees as a
priority.
Over two-thirds of the large companies surveyed do
not want to employ a person who wears a veil for a job involving
direct contact with customers, but for smaller companies this
represents only 55%. If the position does not require direct
contact with customers, employing a person who wears a veil would
only be a problem for 33% of large and 26% of smaller
companies.
The majority of companies are prepared to make
adaptations to the workplace for disabled employees. For example,
57% of large companies and 68% of smaller companies would hire a
weak-sighted employee, even if this required a substantial
investment in the workplace.
However, only 20% of large companies currently
have a diversity policy against discrimination within their
organisations. For smaller companies, this is just 15%, and
furthermore, only 30% of the companies without such a policy are
prepared to implement one.
Olivier Rijckaert said: “Even though the vast
majority of the companies surveyed believe they comply with the
anti-discrimination legislation, the results of the survey show the
opposite. It appears that most Belgian companies do not have
a clear view of the content and practical implications of the
anti-discrimination legislation.”
Methodology
The research and analysis was conducted by Olivier Rijckaert.
The research is based on 130 interviews which took place between
January and April 2008. The companies surveyed were large and
average-sized companies based in Belgium, working across a number
of key sectors of the economy, including banking and finance,
distribution, telecommunications and the public sector.