Employers increasingly are discriminating against workers on the grounds of genetic conditions that could make them ill in future or because they smoke or are overweight, according to a global report on equality at work.

The influential study published in Geneva by the International Labour Office reveals that new forms of workplace discrimination are emerging, while traditional forms including gender, race and religion also persist around the globe.

The report highlights how, in Europe in particular, genetic screening of employees has been used by some employers to establish whether they have a predisposition to a condition that could affect their capacity to work, such as Huntington's disease, a rare condition that causes nerve cells in the brain to waste away.

Advances in genetics and related new technologies have made it easier for employers to obtain information on genetic status, with "important implications" for workplace discrimination, according to the study.

The research also reveals that lifestyle is becoming an increasingly important factor in getting or keeping a job, with employers beginning to discriminate against people who lead "unhealthy lifestyles".

Being overweight, suffering from hypertension and being a smoker can all affect employment chances in several industrialised countries, with employment policies penalising smokers spreading around the world in recent years.

"The question therefore is where to draw the line between what an employer can regulate and the freedom of employees to lead a life of their choice," the report said.

Other forms of discrimination emerging include age, sexual orientation, HIV/Aids status and disability.

The report does not break its findings down in detail to individual countries, but notes that in Europe as a whole, despite some of the world's most effective social policies to tackle discrimination in the workplace, widespread discrimination persists in the labour market, particularly against immigrants.

Migrant workers are a particular target in western European countries, the study says. "The increased presence of migrant workers has engendered feelings ranging from concern over jobs to outright hostility. With 10% of the workforce in western Europe currently made up of migrants seeking better job opportunities abroad - a number likely to increase over the coming years - the plight of migrants will be a growing concern."

A major theme of the report is the persistence of gender gaps in employment and pay, and the need for integrated policies that address sex discrimination in terms of pay and occupational segregation while also reconciling work and family responsibilities.

Despite a continuing increase in women's participation in the workforce in Europe, now at 62%, and a small rise in the proportion of women in senior posts, the pay gap within the European Union remains large. Women earn 15% less per hour than men.

Source: The Guardian.