X v Mid Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau and another (Equality and Human Rights Commission and others intervening) – WLR Daily

X v Mid Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau and another (Equality and Human Rights Commission and others intervening) [2011] EWCA Civ 28; [2011] WLR (D) 15

“A disabled volunteer worker at an advice bureau was not protected from acts of discrimination on grounds of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, nor could she rely on the direct effect of Council Directive 2000/78/EEC (‘the Framework Directive’) to sustain an action for discrimination. Although voluntary posts like that held by the claimant might assist the holder to gain a permanent paid post, that was not the purpose of having volunteer workers, most of whom had no wish to join the permanent staff. The volunteer post was not to be treated as a form of vocational training subject to article 3(1)(c) of the Framework Directive.”

WLR Daily, 26th January 2011

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Employers warned that unpaid internships could ‘break law’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 2nd, 2010 in employment, news, reports, volunteers by sally

“Twenty-somethings working for free might be a common fixture in politics, media and fashion, but employers are almost certainly breaking the law when they take on unpaid interns because they should be giving them wages if they work, according to a new report.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st July 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Unpaid volunteers not covered by discrimination legislation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 12th, 2009 in disability discrimination, news, volunteers by sally

“Volunteers who give their time unpaid to charities are not covered by domestic or European equal treatment legislation designed to protect employees, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th November 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk