The Equality Act 2010 (the Act)
The Act protects people from discrimination on the basis of what are termed “protected characteristics”
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) applies in England, Scotland and Wales. The Equality Act 2010 was not enacted in Northern Ireland and the further information section below explains this further.
The Act protects people from discrimination on the basis of what are termed “protected characteristics” which are listed below:
age
disability
gender reassignment
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic. The Act covers the whole spectrum of employment including recruitment, training, promotion, terms and conditions, redundancy, discipline and dismissal. Individuals are protected from discrimination in a number of contexts including employment, access to goods and services, education and housing.
The principles also apply to ‘workers’ in general (rather than simply ‘employees’) meaning that you are protected from discrimination if you are a bank or agency worker.