London, April 7:
In a significant step toward advancing workplace equality, the UK Government has today launched a call for evidence aimed at breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring that everyone—regardless of background—can thrive under its Plan for Change.
Led by the Office for Equality and Opportunity, Disability Unit, Minister for Equalities Seema Malhotra MP, and Minister for Social Security and Disability The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, the initiative invites responses from a wide range of stakeholders including expert bodies, civil society organisations, trade unions, public authorities, and individuals with lived experience.
The call for evidence will support the development of the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, set to be published this session. It builds on the government’s recent consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which is open until June 10.
Minister for Equalities Seema Malhotra MP stated:
“I am pleased to announce the launch of a call for evidence on equality law, an important step in this government’s Plan for Change. Our goal is to understand how we can better remove barriers to opportunity and boost household incomes across the country so people can achieve according to their talents, irrespective of their backgrounds.”
Key areas under consideration include:
1. Addressing pay discrimination based on race and disability
2. Making equal pay rights more effective for ethnic minority and disabled individuals
3. Preventing the use of outsourcing to bypass equal pay obligations
4. Establishing an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit
5. Enhancing pay transparency
6. Strengthening protections against combined discrimination
7. Ensuring full compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty
8. Creating workplaces free from sexual harassment
9. Commencing the socio-economic duty
Minister for Social Security and Disability Stephen Timms MP added:
“I’m proud to support this call for evidence, which will help inform the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill in line with the government’s manifesto commitment to put disabled people’s views and voices at the heart of all we do.”
The call for evidence will remain open for 12 weeks, concluding on 30 June 2025. The government encourages wide participation to ensure future policies are informed by diverse perspectives and lived experiences—advancing equality, increasing household incomes, and ensuring a fairer workplace for all.
