Jane Farrell, CEO of diversity and equality consultancy Equality Works, believes Sugar's practice of firing staff on The Apprentice, on the basis of personal feelings, will encourage other employers to follow suit - risking legal action.
She said: "Even though The Apprentice is essentially entertainment, it indicates the pressures and fears more and more people are facing on a daily basis.
"It is well known that many employers, even subconsciously, recruit staff and build teams around them that to some extent are a reflection of themselves. But when it comes to the difficult task of making redundancies, personal whims and gut feelings often override a more detached and pragmatic appraisal of an individual's contribution to the business. Often people make judgments on stereotypes."
Sir Alan Sugar practice of firing on a personal whim in The Apprentice sets bad example to others
Sir Alan Sugar sets a "very bad example" to UK employers, according to one equality expert.
