In brief...: Accent 'can affect job interviews'

Jun 27 2008

Most employers have discriminated against potential recruits because of their accent, with jobseekers from Glasgow one of the worst affected, according to a new report.

Research by employment law firm Peninsula found that two-thirds of job applicants tried to disguise or hide their accent in an interview.

Most of the 1,600 employees polled knew someone who was victimised at work because of their accent.

The top five worst accents for discrimination were those from Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow, followed by Cockney.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, said: "It is a type of discrimination that is hardly ever publicised but is a prominent issue.

"No one seems to understand that a person's accent can have a real effect on the success of their job interview.

"This is a grey area in the law and there is no law stating that accents cannot be discriminated against.

"Employees could take action, citing race for the grounds of discrimination.

"Having in place a culturally diverse team can be a real advantage when looking at operations in a particular region."