Equality Act 2010 and discrimination
The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for everyone from
discrimination, harassment or victimisation, and refers particularly to the
following protected characteristics:
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion and belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Under the Act people are not allowed to discriminate, harass or
victimise another person because they have any of the protected characteristics.
There is also protection against discrimination where someone is perceived to
have one of the protected characteristics or where they are associated with
someone who has a protected characteristic.
Discrimination is where you are treated worse than someone else,
or when people put policies or procedures in place that put you at a
disadvantage. Harassment can be
when someone violates your dignity or makes you feel degraded or humiliated, or
you feel they are being hostile or offensive to you.
Victimisation is when you are being treated unfairly because you are
taking action under the Equality Act, or supporting someone else to take such
action.
Advice on Equality/discrimination issues
The Government has commissioned a new Equality
Advisory Support Service (EASS) to replace the Equality and Human Rights
Commission Helpline. The new service is aimed at individuals who need more
expert advice and support on discrimination than advice agencies and other local
organisations can provide.
The EASS will give bespoke advice to individuals
on discrimination issues, and will explain legal rights and remedies within
discrimination legislation. It will also explain options for informal
resolution and refer people who cannot or do not wish to go down this road to
conciliation or mediation services. Finally, it will help people who need or
want to seek a legal solution by helping to establish eligibility for legal aid
and, if they are not eligible, to find an accessible legal service or to
prepare and lodge a claim themselves.
The new service will be open 9am to 8pm Monday
to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. The contact number is 0800 444
205 and 0800 444 206 (textphone).
This service can give you advice about the
Equality Act and what your options might be, particularly with regard to what
support might be available to help you.
They will not provide you with legal advice, or tell you if you have a
strong case. They also will not
deal with complaints from disabled air passengers (you will need to contact the
Civil Aviation Authority).
On their website they have guides to your rights
with an‘Equality Act Starter Kit’, Codes of Practice for Employers, Workers,
Service Providers and Education Providers, and template letters (for example, to
your employer making a formal request for reasonable adjustments at
work)
The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for everyone from
discrimination, harassment or victimisation, and refers particularly to the
following protected characteristics:
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion and belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Under the Act people are not allowed to discriminate, harass or
victimise another person because they have any of the protected characteristics.
There is also protection against discrimination where someone is perceived to
have one of the protected characteristics or where they are associated with
someone who has a protected characteristic.
Discrimination is where you are treated worse than someone else,
or when people put policies or procedures in place that put you at a
disadvantage. Harassment can be
when someone violates your dignity or makes you feel degraded or humiliated, or
you feel they are being hostile or offensive to you.
Victimisation is when you are being treated unfairly because you are
taking action under the Equality Act, or supporting someone else to take such
action.
Advice on Equality/discrimination issues
The Government has commissioned a new Equality
Advisory Support Service (EASS) to replace the Equality and Human Rights
Commission Helpline. The new service is aimed at individuals who need more
expert advice and support on discrimination than advice agencies and other local
organisations can provide.
The EASS will give bespoke advice to individuals
on discrimination issues, and will explain legal rights and remedies within
discrimination legislation. It will also explain options for informal
resolution and refer people who cannot or do not wish to go down this road to
conciliation or mediation services. Finally, it will help people who need or
want to seek a legal solution by helping to establish eligibility for legal aid
and, if they are not eligible, to find an accessible legal service or to
prepare and lodge a claim themselves.
The new service will be open 9am to 8pm Monday
to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. The contact number is 0800 444
205 and 0800 444 206 (textphone).
This service can give you advice about the
Equality Act and what your options might be, particularly with regard to what
support might be available to help you.
They will not provide you with legal advice, or tell you if you have a
strong case. They also will not
deal with complaints from disabled air passengers (you will need to contact the
Civil Aviation Authority).
On their website they have guides to your rights
with an‘Equality Act Starter Kit’, Codes of Practice for Employers, Workers,
Service Providers and Education Providers, and template letters (for example, to
your employer making a formal request for reasonable adjustments at
work)