English law lacks a general principle of equality of the kind found in constitutional texts in some other European countries. Legislation embodies a principle of non-discrimination in employment on grounds of sex, race and disability. This body of law stresses formal rather than substantive equality, and defines discrimination in terms of the asymmetrical treatment of individuals rather than by reference to the structural sources of group disadvantage. These conceptual weaknesses are part of the explanation for the relatively limited impact of the legislation on the UK labour market, which continues to be characterized by occupational segregation and persistent pay inequality.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations