Genetic Testing in Insurance and Employment
Introduction
GeneWatch UK believes that legislation is needed to prevent insurers and employers from using predictive genetic test results to decide who gets insurance or a job. A coalition of other organisations agrees with us: they have signed a Joint Statement of Concern.
From this page you can download copies of our briefings and report and you can explore our online guide to genetic testing. You can also find out more about the Discrimination Law Review. In this important consultation, the Government asked whether you think there should be a law to prevent genetic discrimination.
The consultation finished on 4th September 2007, but if you agree that insurers and employers should not be able to use genetic test results to decide who gets insurance or a job, you can still:
- Visit or write to your MP - use the points in the Joint Statement and the GeneWatch briefings to compose your letter. Use the 'they work for you' website to find your MP.
- Write to your insurer and employer. Ask if they agree there should be legislation to prevent genetic discrimination. If not, why not?
Please send copies of any replies to GeneWatch.
Resources
- Press Releases
- GeneWatch PR: Keep Genetic Testing Private - Health and Human Rights at Risk - say leading disability, health and human rights groups 14th February 2006
- GeneWatch PR: Gene test insurance deal inadequate: GeneWatch UK comment on announcement of deal between the Government and insurance industry 14th March 2005
- GeneWatch PR: Legal loophole allows genetic discrimination in the workplace. 25th September 2003
- GeneWatch PR: GeneWatch UK Response to Insurance Industry Announcement on Genetic Tests 23rd October 2001
- Reports
-
Genetic discrimination by insurers and employers: still looming on the horizon.
14th February 2006
-
Genetic Testing in the Workplace
1st June 2003
-
Genetic discrimination by insurers and employers: still looming on the horizon.
- Briefings
- GeneWatch UK Submission to the Discrimination Law Review 7th August 2007
-
Briefing 24: Genetic Testing in the Workplace: Creating a genetic underclass?
1st November 2003
- MPs' Briefing: Human Genetics No. 1 - Genetic Testing in Insurance: A New Form of Discrimination 1st October 2001
-
Briefing 15: Genetic Testing in Insurance and Employment: A new Form of Discrimination
1st June 2001
- Links
- The Financial Times: ABI extends non-disclosure on policies (19 June 2008)
- The Guardian: New genetic tests era raises insurance fear (8th June 2007)
- USA Today: Insurers weigh testing for cancer genes (9th May 2007)
-
TUC Hazards magazine
Has a good section on genetic tests with latest news.
-
Human Genetics Commission
Genetics and employment section of their website
-
Genetic susceptibility and health at work
Inter-university Belgian site giving comprehensive information about genetic testing at work.
