Following Commerce and Employment’s announcement in June that new employment discrimination laws for Guernsey would be prioritised in their 2012 business plan, Jersey has now followed suit – with the backing of local employers.
In their very last debate before the summer recess, the States of Jersey voted unanimously to reverse their previous decision to cut the budget for developing new employment discrimination law.  Funds will now be found and the new law will come back to the States for approval in 2012.
An important influencing factor in the debate was a recent survey of 60 Jersey employers that showed that 82% felt there was a need for more discrimination law. The survey was conducted by the Jersey Community Relations Trust and the Jersey Employers Network on Disability.  The results are at www.jerseycommunityrelations.org.
So while Guernsey’s Commerce and Employment Department might have taken the lead in prioritising discrimination law, it seems the States of Jersey are keen to catch up.