Equality Act: A Historical Law For Equality

The Equality Act became law in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2010. It is one of the most important pieces of business legislation, affecting everything from recruitment to the provision of services and the buying and selling of products and services. The Act consolidates existing legislation on sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and age, bringing together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into a single Act. It aims to strengthen the law, fight discrimination in all its forms, and help make equality a reality for everyone.

The Equality Act 2010 became law on 1 October 2010

The Equality Act 2010 replaced the following Acts:

• Equal Pay Act 1970
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

The Equality Act 2010 also replaced three major statutory instruments protecting against discrimination in employment on the grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.

The Act offers protection against discrimination, harassment or victimisation in employment and when using private and public services. It defines nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

The Equality Act 2010 has been described as "Labour's biggest idea for 11 years", with the potential to "tackle the class divide in a way that no other policy has". The Act is intended to simplify the law by bringing together existing anti-discrimination legislation, making it easier for people to understand and comply with. It also strengthens protection in some situations, for example, by changing the definition of gender reassignment and providing clearer protection for breastfeeding mothers.

The Act covers everyone in Britain

The Equality Act 2010 (c. 15) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies to everyone in Britain, except for those in Northern Ireland. The Act was passed during the Brown ministry and came into force on 1 October 2010, replacing previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act. It sets out the different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone, based on their 'protected characteristics'.

The Act protects people against discrimination, harassment, or victimisation in employment, as well as when they are using private and public services. The protected characteristics include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

The Equality Act also requires employers and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to ensure that disabled people do not experience barriers to access. Furthermore, it allows for single-sex services if the restrictions are "a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim".

The Act also offers protection against discrimination based on nationality and citizenship and extends individuals' rights beyond the workplace in areas such as religion or belief, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment.

The Equality Act applies to everyone in Britain, with the exception of Northern Ireland, which has its own equality legislation.

It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act

The Equality Act 2010 replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, simplifying the law by bringing together existing anti-discrimination legislation. This included the Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, and the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

The Equality Act 2010 consolidated most equality law into one Act, covering everyone in Britain and protecting people from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. It also prohibits direct and indirect discrimination and applies in various scenarios, including at work, in education, and in relation to services and public functions.

The Act has nine protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. It sets out the different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone and makes the law easier to understand and strengthen protection in some situations.

The Equality Act is one of the most important pieces of business legislation, affecting everything from how an organisation recruits people to how it provides its services and how it buys and sells products and services. It removes inconsistencies, making it easier for people to understand and comply with it. The Act's primary purpose is to consolidate, update, and supplement the numerous prior Acts and Regulations that formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in England, Scotland, and Wales, with some sections also applying to Northern Ireland.

The Act applies in various scenarios, including at work, in education and in relation to services and public functions

The Equality Act 2010 became law in the UK on 6 April 2010. The Act consolidates most equality law into a single Act, simplifying the law by bringing together existing anti-discrimination legislation. The Act applies in a variety of scenarios, including:

At Work

The Equality Act 2010 protects people against discrimination, harassment or victimisation in employment. It prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, and creates duties in relation to 'protected characteristics'. There are nine protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, and sexual orientation. The Act also places a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced by disabled people.

In Education

The Act also applies in the context of education, prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in educational institutions. This includes further and higher education, as well as general qualifications bodies.

In Relation to Services and Public Functions

The Act covers the provision of services and public functions, protecting individuals from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation as users of private and public services. This includes protection against discrimination in relation to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Public authorities are subject to a Public Sector Equality Duty, requiring them to have due regard for equality considerations when exercising public functions.

The Act prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, and harassment and victimisation

The Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010. The Act consolidates most equality law into a single Act, simplifying the law by bringing together existing anti-discrimination legislation. It prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, as well as harassment and victimisation.

Direct Discrimination

Direct discrimination is when someone treats another person worse than someone else because of a protected characteristic. For example, if a black person was punished for making a mistake at work when a white person wasn't, or if a landlord refuses to rent a property to someone when they find out that person is gay.

Indirect Discrimination

Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy or rule has a worse effect on a person because of their protected characteristic. For instance, a manager requiring everyone to work between 9 am and 5 pm might negatively impact women with childcare responsibilities, or a bank requiring people to have a permanent address to open an account could affect Irish Travellers or migrant workers.

Harassment

Harassment includes bullying, offensive behaviour, or making jokes about someone that are related to a protected characteristic. It also includes sexual harassment, such as commenting on someone's clothes or appearance, sending messages with sexual content, or making sexual remarks.

Victimisation

Victimisation refers to negative treatment as a result of being involved with a discrimination or harassment complaint. For example, if someone is treated badly for challenging unlawful discrimination, or if they helped someone else challenge discrimination.

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection against these forms of discrimination, ensuring that individuals are treated fairly and equally regardless of their protected characteristics.

Frequently asked questions