What did the Equality Act 2010 Change?
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations.
What are the main points of the Equality Act 2010?
The characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act 2010 are:
- age.
- disability.
- gender reassignment.
- marriage or civil partnership (in employment only)
- pregnancy and maternity.
- race.
- religion or belief.
- sex.
What did the Equality Act 2006 do?
An Act to make provision for the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights; to dissolve the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission; to make provision about discrimination on grounds of religion or belief; to enable provision to be made …
What does the Equality Act 2010 say?
The Equality Act is a law which protects you from discrimination. It means that discrimination or unfair treatment on the basis of certain personal characteristics, such as age, is now against the law in almost all cases.
What happens if you go against the Equality Act?
The law which says you mustn’t be discriminated against is called the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination which is against the Equality Act is unlawful. One of the things you can do is to make a discrimination claim in the civil courts. …
Who does the Equality Act 2010 apply to?
The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. The information on the your rights pages is here to help you understand if you have been treated unlawfully.
How many pieces of legislation does the Equality Act 2010 replace?
116 separate pieces
A new Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. It brings together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act.
What is the Equality Act 2010 disability?
Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
How does the Equality Act 2010 empower individuals?
It provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and promote equal opportunities for everyone. It clarifies what private, public and voluntary sectors must legally do to ensure that people with protected characteristics (such as a learning disability) are not disadvantaged.
Who does the Equality Act 2010 protect?
Protected characteristics Find out more about the characteristics that the Equality Act protects. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Is it hard to prove discrimination?
Proving employment discrimination can often be difficult because evidence of discrimination tends to be hard to come by. However, there are a few ways wronged employees can make their claims in court and get their case in front of a jury.
What are the disadvantages of the Equality Act 2010?
Disadvantages
- Age discrimination is still allowed as long as it has a legitimate aim.
- Still can only use two combined characteristics.
- A huge law to raise awareness of and has a lot of costly costs attached.
- New laws don’t have a case law and few high profile cases.
What was legislation has the Equality Act 2010 replaced?
The Equality Act 2010 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. Nine main pieces of legislation have merged. They are: the Equal Pay Act 1970. the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. the Race Relations Act 1976. the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
What are the characteristics of the Equality Act?
Find out more about the characteristics that the Equality Act protects. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Is the Equality Act 2010 applicable to Northern Ireland?
In the case of disability, employers and service providers are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced by disabled people. In this regard, the Equality Act 2010 did not change the law. Under s.217, with limited exceptions the Act does not apply to Northern Ireland.
Is there an exemption from the Equality Act?
Sections 104–105 of the Act extend until 2030 the exemption from sex discrimination law, which allows political parties to create all-women shortlists. The exemption was previously permitted by the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 .