Other anti-discrimination laws

On 1 January 1999 a new law came into force concerning measures against ethnic discrimination in working life. It covers both direct and indirect discrimination and applies regardless of whether the employer’s intention was discriminatory or not.

The Act applies where there is a employer-employee relationship and during the entire recruitment procedure even if no decision to employ is taken. The employer is assigned the duty to investigate and the duty to take measures where there are allegations of ethnic harassment of employees. Furthermore, an employee who has reported ethnic harassment may not be exposed to reprisals as a result of the report. Employers that break the law may be ordered to pay damages. The Ombudsman against Ethic Discrimination (DO) and the Anti-Discrimination Board will supervise compliance with the Act.

On the same pattern two further anti-discrimination laws came into force on 1 April 1999: the Act on Prohibition of Discrimination in Working Life of People with Functional Disabilities, compliance with which will be supervised by the Disability Ombudsman (HO) and the Anti-Discrimination Board and the Act on Prohibition of Discrimination in Working Life on the grounds of Sexual Orientation, compliance with which will be supervised by the Ombudsman against Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation (HomO) and the Anti-Discrimination Board.