Sex discrimination in the licensed trade: a study of the differing attitudes to legal matters

In recent years, the licensed trade in the UK has had to adapt to changing trends in leisure and, simultaneously, cope with major structural change and management reorganisation. Within this context there is an increase in government regulation of the employment world both to full‐time and to other employees. This has extended to enhanced protection of peripheral workers as a current EU priority and the issue of directives. The article outlines the principal changes in the trade and the modern management trends. From there, it proceeds to analyse the impact of some key aspects of the law relating to sex discrimination and its observance by the managers/tenants of public houses. This is limited to the recruitment of staff but touches on sexual harassment and the rights of peripheral workers. An examination of the literature is undertaken and a comparison between the findings from this and the empirical research from a case study is made, exploring the differences between the attitudes of differing categories of licensee. Managers are more compliant with the spirit of the law than tenants and lessees. The consequences of non‐compliance with the law are stressed.