It is against the law to give (or not give) someone a job because of their colour or 'race', whether they are black or white. This is true with houses and flats too, and other things like letting people join clubs or schools. Since 2003 it's also been against the law to refuse someone a job on the grounds of their religion (it's been the law for many years in Northern Ireland).

Every year there are many legal complaints from people who feel they have been refused a job, or refused promotion, because of their ethnic origin. Most of these are proved and the employer has to pay damages to the people they have treated wrongly. Compared to ten years ago, people are more likely today to report that they have been discriminated against at work, though there is good evidence that about a third of employers do discriminate and that this has not gone down as much as people might think.

There are also still similar complaints to do with housing.

Someone with a job on offer is allowed to say they would like to hear from particular groups if they do not already have many working for them. They are not allowed to give them the job if someone else is better. It is against the law to have 'quotas' for a certain percentage of different groups, though this has been tried in the USA with some success. It is called positive action, and is sometimes proposed for other groups who experience discrimination, like women and disabled people.

Here is part of an advert for a government department:

'As the representative of Britain overseas, the Diplomatic Service aims to reflect the diversity of British society. Members of minority ethnic groups and disabled people are currently under-represented in the Diplomatic Service. Applications from these groups are therefore particularly welcomed.'

This does not mean that they will automatically be given the job or that white people and people without disabilities should not apply. It is meant to encourage other groups and tell them their contribution is needed. This is a very mild form of positive action.