law for life
Protecting Your Business While Promoting Equality
Under the Equality Act 2010, all employees, workers, job applicants, and contractors are legally protected from discrimination based on certain personal characteristics — known as protected characteristics. For employers, this means ensuring your policies, procedures, and culture actively prevent discrimination from recruitment through to termination.
What Is Discrimination in the Workplace?
Discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably or unfairly disadvantaged due to a protected characteristic. Claims can arise regardless of how long the individual has been employed, and in some cases, even before employment starts.
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against someone based on:
Discrimination can occur in a wide range of workplace situations, from job adverts, promotions, and performance management, to redundancy selection, pay decisions, and dismissals.


Types of Workplace Discrimination
Employers must understand that discrimination can take many forms: