Despite the team’s success, Carter faced a wave of racist abuse online, prompting important conversations about how we treat footballers – and how these issues reflect broader challenges in the workplace.
Jess Carter's experience
Jess Carter, the Lionesses defender, shared that she was avoiding social media after experiencing racist abuse from football fans during the tournament. She recalled, "From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don't agree or think it's ok to target someone's appearance or race." The Football Association escalated the matter to the UK police, who contacted the social media platform involved.
Sadly, Jess Carter's experience isn't a one-off. Racism in football has long been an issue, with another notable example being the treatment of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, after they missed penalties during the men's Euro 2020 final. These incidents led to the creation of Kick It Out, a campaign dedicated to tackling racism in football. In the 2023/24 season alone, Kick It Out received 1,332 reports of racism across professional and grassroots football, as well as social media - a 32% increase on the previous year.
Organisations, and society as a whole, have a duty to lead by example in creating inclusive, respectful workplaces. Aileen Campbell, CEO of Scottish Women's Football (SWF), commented:
"The racism Jess Carter has endured whilst at the Euros is unacceptable – she and her Lioness teammates are to be commended for their bravery and for using their platform in sport to call out hate. At Scottish Women’s Football, we work hard to set high standards for all those who seek to be a part of our game – coaches, players and parents and carers are expected to follow our codes of conduct to create positive environments for everyone to enjoy, and we have worked with organisations like Show Racism the Red Card to equip our clubs with the right tools to support and educate those in our game. There is no place for hate in football and we all have a duty to challenge bigotry and ensure people feel welcomed and supported."
Not just a football problem
Unfortunately, race discrimination is a reality in many workplaces. A UK survey commissioned by Ciphr, an HR and payroll software provider, found that 69% of respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds had experienced discrimination either at work or during the job application process. Alarmingly, more than one in four felt their race or ethnicity had affected their chance of them getting a role they applied for. In Scotland, 46% of respondents reported various forms of discrimination.
The impact of workplace discrimination goes far beyond the individual – it can damage morale, strain relationships, harm a company's reputation, and lead to increased staff turnover.
What can employers do?
Race discrimination is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010. This includes:
- Direct discrimination – treating someone less favourably because of their race.
- Indirect discrimination – applying policies or practices that disadvantage certain racial groups without justification.
- Harassment – unwanted behaviour related to race that creates a hostile or offensive environment.
- Victimisation – penalising someone for making or planning to make a discrimination complaint.
Race includes – but is not limited to – nationality, colour and ethnic or national origins.
Employers are liable for discrimination and harassment of employees by their colleagues unless they can prove that they took all reasonable steps to prevent it. That's why it is essential to have clear anti-discrimination and harassment policies in place, and to make sure they are more than just words on paper.
Best practice for employers includes:
- Making all staff are aware of the policies and understand them and ensuring that customers, visitors, contractors and suppliers are aware of their zero-tolerance stance of all forms of discrimination and harassment.
- Providing thorough training for staff and managers that clearly explains what constitutes discrimination and harassment and what steps to take if it occurs.
- Taking complaints seriously, monitoring complaints and refreshing training regularly.
Looking ahead
Changes are coming. Under the Employment Rights Bill, employers will soon be held accountable for harassment by third parties - such as customers, visitors, contractors and suppliers. This is expected to come into force in October 2026. Employers can already be liable for harassment by third parties if they fail to deal with complaints properly but by next year, they will be directly liable.
What's next?
Whether it happens on the pitch, online or in the office, racism undermines trust, morale and performance. Employers have a responsibility to act, through clear policies, meaningful training and a culture of zero-tolerance against harassment and discrimination. Not only is it the right thing to do, it also makes business sense. With further legal changes on the horizon, now is the time to build a strong foundation for a fair and inclusive workplace.
Aileen Campbell added: "Football is the beautiful game precisely because everyone, regardless of their background, is and should be able to enjoy it free from intolerance and prejudice. But we can't be complacent, and new legislative requirements will be an important reminder of the need to do more.
"We will ensure our clubs are aware of legal obligations and we are proud to have the support of MFMac (as Official Legal Partner) who have inclusivity and fairness at its heart. We will continue to work with them to do what we can to create a sport that is the best it can possibly be for all girls and women in Scotland."
This article was produced in partnership with Scottish Women's Football and co-written by Caitlin Alexander, Trainee Solicitor in MFMac's Employment team.
