Book excerpt: This reference guide to all aspects of the law relating to equal opportunities and discrimination provides accessible and straightforward advice to help practitioners with the day-to-day problems encountered when dealing with this complex area of law and covers the full range of equal opportunity issues from gender re-assignment to paternity leave. Highly practical and using concise and non-technical language this new edition covers developments in the legislation including that on race discrimination now extended to public bodies and the new maternity pay proposals. The work includes case law and material on institutional discrimination, cronyism, nepotism, term-time working, career breaks, job shares, dress codes, medical evidence, bullying, estoppel, work/life balance and the European charter on fundamental human rights. The A-Z format uses checklists to offer practical guidance and this second edition includes new checklists on career break schemes and job share schemes.