Part-time female workers suffered indirect sex discrimination in a pension scheme but no loss (and therefore will not receive compensation).

Copple & Ors v Littlewoods Plc & Ors [2011] EWCA Civ 1281

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18/11/2011

The Court of Appeal has made its ruling in Copple & Ors v Littlewoods Plc & Ors, which supports previous lower court rulings that denied women compensation arising from their exclusion from pension schemes as they suffered no loss, the "opt-out principle".

The Court deemed the women bringing their indirect sex discrimination cases to have not suffered any loss when their employer's pension scheme was not extended to part-timers, as they would not have joined the pension schemes in any case.

The female Littlewoods workers argued that the 'opt-out' principle was incompatible with EU law as it did not offer a proper remedy for the indirect discrimination. The Court of Appeal disagreed as indirect discrimination does not allow for a penal remedy.

Transcript of the judgement:-   Copple & Ors v Littlewoods Plc & Ors [2011] EWCA Civ 1281
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