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The Equality Act 2010

The purpose of the Equality Act is that everyone has the right to be treated fairly at work or when using services.

All employers and service providers therefore have a responsibility to treat their employees and service users fairly.

You are a service provider if you provide goods, facilities or services to the general public, regardless of whether these are free or paid for. If you are a private club or association, you are also likely to have responsibilities..

If you are an employer, the law still applies to you even if your workers are temporary, do not have written contracts of employment or are recruited to other positions such as trainees, apprentices or business partners.

Pluss Equalities Act Information - Equality and Human Rights weblinkWho is protected by the Equality Act?
The following characteristics are protected by the act:

  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment 
  • Marriage or civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion or belief
  • Sexual orientation
  • Sex (gender)
  • Age

All the above are known as 'Protected Characteristics'.

What is the Act protecting against?
The Equality Act protects against three main types of prohibited conduct:

1. Discrimination.
This includes:

  • Treating a person worse than someone else because of a protected characteristic (known as direct discrimination).
  • Putting in place a rule or way of doing things that has a worse impact on someone with a protected characteristic than someone without one, when this cannot be justified (known as indirect discrimination).  
  • Treating a disabled person unfavourably because of something connected with their disability when this cannot be justified (known as discrimination arising from disability).
  • Failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

2. Harassment
Unwanted conduct which violates someone’s dignity or which is hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive to someone with a protected characteristic .

3. Victimisation
Treating someone unfavourably because they have taken action under the Equality Act or are supporting somebody else to do so.

The Equality Act and Employment
For employers, the act covers every aspect of employment including

  • When someone starts and finishes work with an employer (including adverts, interviews, selection, retirement, dismissal etc)
  • Day to day managment (including employee pay, training, dress, facilities at work)
  • Anything else that may come up (including maternity, flexible working, annual and sick leave etc).

There are many simple steps that employers can take. View our top tips guide.

History of the Equality Act
The Equalities Act replaces all the existing equality law including

  • The Equal Pay Act 1970
  • The Sex Discrimination Act 1975
  • The Race Relations Act 1976
  • The Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Most of the new law is based on previous legislation which has been streamlined.

Read more about your employment rights under the Equality Act

For more information on the Equality Act visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.

The above information has been taken from the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.