There are not that many things that we can thank the European Union for in The UK, but when it comes to legislation that covers discrimination in the workplace, this is definitely an area that is an exception. You see, EU law has been conceived that strongly addresses this exact point. This is contained within both treaties and regulations that have been passed through the European Parliament.
As the UK was forced to surrender its sovereignty to Europe when it joined the E.C. in 1973, this has meant that statutory instruments (a type of Act of Parliament) have had to be drawn up to incorporate these laws. This means that discrimination in the workplace now extends to sex, race, religion and more recently, sexual orientation and these are the reasons why a person may be forced to deal with employment discrimination law solicitors.
EU law is rather a complicated affair, however, and it is actually a fact that there are more avenues for legal action for a person that works for a public body, than exists for those that work for a private company.
Nevertheless, legislation is in place to protect a worker in any given employment and if you feel that you have been discriminated against in any way, seek out the help of a legal professional as soon as you can. If your case is proven, you may well be eligible for damages from the offending employer.