Employment Equality Act, 1998

Equality reviews and action plans.

69.—(1) For the purposes of this Part, an equality review is—

(a) an audit of the level of equality of opportunity which exists in employment in a particular business, group of businesses or the businesses making up a particular industry or sector thereof, and

(b) an examination of the practices, procedures and other relevant factors (including the working environment) of, in and material to that employment to determine whether those practices, procedures or other factors are conducive to the promotion of equality of opportunity in that employment.

(2) For the purposes of this Part, an equality action plan is a programme of actions to be undertaken in employment in a business or businesses to further the promotion of equality of opportunity in that employment.

(3) The Authority may invite a particular business, group of businesses or the businesses making up a particular industry or sector thereof to do either or both of the following:

(a) carry out an equality review in relation to their business or businesses;

(b) prepare and implement an equality action plan in respect of that business or those businesses.

(4) The Authority may, if it thinks it appropriate, itself carry out an equality review and prepare an equality action plan in relation to a particular business, group of businesses or the businesses making up a particular industry or sector thereof; and, for the purpose of assisting in the conduct of such an audit or examination as is referred to in subsection (1), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, employ one or more persons having qualifications which, in the opinion of the Authority, relate to that examination.

(5) The powers conferred by subsection (4) do not apply in relation to any business which has less than 50 employees (and, accordingly, references to a group of businesses or the businesses making up a particular industry or sector thereof do not include such a business).

(6) An equality review and an action plan may be directed at the generality of equality of opportunity or at a particular aspect of discrimination in an employment.

(7) For the purposes of this section—

(a) “business” includes an activity giving rise to employment, whether or not in the industrial or commercial field, and whether or not with a view to profit, and

(b) a “group of businesses” may be defined by reference to geographical location instead of (or as well as) by reference to control or any other factor.