Discrimination
The Equality Act (2010) is designed to prevent discriminationTo treat someone differently or unfairly because they belong to a particular group. on a number of grounds. These grounds are called ‘protected characteristics’ and include
| Protected characteristic | Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) |
| Age | No preference can be given to someone based solely on their age unless there is a specific reason for doing so, eg being old enough to hold a driving licence for a job that involves driving. |
| Disability | Businesses cannot discriminate against disabled people. They must also take reasonable steps to enable access to the workplace and provide any appropriate equipment that disabled people need to work. |
| Gender reassignment | People cannot be discriminated against if they plan to, are in the process of, or have undergone a process (or part of a process) to reassign their gender. |
| Marital status | People should not be treated differently because they are single, married or in a civil partnership. |
| Pregnancy and maternity | Women cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of being pregnant, or during the period following the birth of their baby. |
| Race | Discrimination on the grounds of nationality, race, colour or ethnicity is not permitted. |
| Religion | Discriminating against people based on their religious beliefs, including those who have no religious beliefs, is not allowed. |
| Sex | Unless there is a specific exception (eg a school may choose to recruit a PE teacher of the same sex as the students they will be teaching), a business cannot treat men and women differently, or treat one sex less favourably. |
| Sexual orientation | People cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of their sexual orientation (whether they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual). They also cannot be discriminated against if they are transgender. |
| Protected characteristic | Age |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | No preference can be given to someone based solely on their age unless there is a specific reason for doing so, eg being old enough to hold a driving licence for a job that involves driving. |
| Protected characteristic | Disability |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | Businesses cannot discriminate against disabled people. They must also take reasonable steps to enable access to the workplace and provide any appropriate equipment that disabled people need to work. |
| Protected characteristic | Gender reassignment |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | People cannot be discriminated against if they plan to, are in the process of, or have undergone a process (or part of a process) to reassign their gender. |
| Protected characteristic | Marital status |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | People should not be treated differently because they are single, married or in a civil partnership. |
| Protected characteristic | Pregnancy and maternity |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | Women cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of being pregnant, or during the period following the birth of their baby. |
| Protected characteristic | Race |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | Discrimination on the grounds of nationality, race, colour or ethnicity is not permitted. |
| Protected characteristic | Religion |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | Discriminating against people based on their religious beliefs, including those who have no religious beliefs, is not allowed. |
| Protected characteristic | Sex |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | Unless there is a specific exception (eg a school may choose to recruit a PE teacher of the same sex as the students they will be teaching), a business cannot treat men and women differently, or treat one sex less favourably. |
| Protected characteristic | Sexual orientation |
|---|---|
| Requirements of the Equality Act (2010) | People cannot be discriminated against on the grounds of their sexual orientation (whether they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual). They also cannot be discriminated against if they are transgender. |
