A guide to legal requirements
UK games studios, along with all other businesses, are required by law to ensure that their employment practices and policies promote equality, diversity, and inclusion).
All UK-based companies are subject to a range of legal requirements related to EDI, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. These laws require that businesses take proactive steps to promote EDI and to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
Under the Equality Act 2010, studios are required to ensure that their employment practices and policies do not discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their race, gender, disability, age, religion, or sexual orientation. This means that studios must ensure that their recruitment, promotion, and retention practices are fair and inclusive, and that they do not create barriers to employment for individuals from under-represented groups.
Additionally, studios are required to make reasonable adjustments for employees or job applicants with disabilities or impairments. They must ensure that their workplace is accessible to individuals with disabilities, and provide reasonable accommodations, such as assistive technology or modified work schedules, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their job duties.
Under the Human Rights Act 1998, studios are required to protect employees’ and job applicants’ rights to freedom from discrimination and to respect for their private and family life. This means that companies must ensure that their employment practices and policies do not discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their race, gender, disability, age, religion, or sexual orientation, and that they respect employees’ rights to privacy and freedom from harassment.
To ensure compliance with these legal requirements and industry standards, studios should implement policies and procedures that promote EDI in the workplace. This may include developing a diversity and inclusion policy that outlines the studio’s commitment to promoting EDI, as well as specific initiatives and programmes to promote diversity and inclusion in recruitment, retention, and promotion practices.
Companies are also encouraged to provide regular training and education to employees on EDI issues, such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, and disability awareness. This can help ensure that employees are aware of their legal obligations and the studio’s policies and procedures related to EDI, which can help prevent discriminatory practices and behaviours in the workplace.
For more specific guidance on legal requirements around all under-represented groups:
Gender
Gender Reassignment
Parenting, Childcare & Caring
LGBTQ+
Marriage & Civil Partnerships
Disability & Neurodiversity
Age
Race & Culture
Religion & Beliefs
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Social Mobility
