Discrimination at work is a complicated subject. The key legislation is the Equality Act 2010 (EA).
The EA offers protection to the UK work force in all sections of employment.
Protected Characteristics
The purpose of the EA is to prevent workers from being subjected to unfavourable treatment due to having a protected characteristic.
The Protected Characteristics are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sex orientation
Types of Discrimination
The recognised forms of discrimination are direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. There are additional types specific to disability discrimination, namely failure to make reasonable adjustments and discrimination arising from disability.
Making a Claim
There are various types of discrimination claims that can be made.
Unlike other areas, such as unfair dismissal, there is no minimum continuous service requirement to bring a discrimination claim. There are, however, strict time limits, which can often be a complicating factor. For discriminatory acts occurring on or after 1 October 2026, the time limit to bring a claim is usually six months less one day from the date of the discriminatory act complained of. Different time limits may apply where the discriminatory act occurred before 1 October 2026.
Managing this area can be difficult and advice is recommended. We are well versed in discrimination claims and can offer you the advice and assistance you need.