Equality Act 2010

Official Summary

A Bill to make provision to require Ministers of the Crown and others when making strategic decisions about the exercise of their functions to have regard to the desirability of reducing socio-economic inequalities; to reform and harmonise equality law and restate the greater part of the enactments relating to discrimination and harassment related to certain personal characteristics; to enable certain employers to be required to publish information about the differences in pay between male and female employees; to prohibit victimisation in certain circumstances; to require the exercise of certain functions to be with regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other prohibited conduct; to enable duties to be imposed in relation to the exercise of public procurement functions; to increase equality of opportunity; and for connected purposes.

AI Summary powered by AnyModel

Overview

The Equality Act 2010 is a UK law that aims to harmonize and reform equality legislation, protect individuals from discrimination and harassment based on certain personal characteristics, and promote equality of opportunity.

Description

This Act establishes nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. It prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation based on these characteristics in various areas, including employment, services, public functions, premises, and education. The Act outlines specific duties for employers, service providers, and public authorities to take reasonable steps to avoid disadvantages faced by disabled persons, and it allows for positive action to address existing inequalities. The Act also includes provisions for equal pay and gender pay gap reporting, along with measures related to family property and civil partnerships. Enforcement mechanisms involve civil courts and employment tribunals.

Key Aspects:

Establishes nine protected characteristics.
Prohibits various forms of discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
Imposes duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons.
Includes provisions for equal pay and gender pay gap reporting.
Details enforcement procedures through civil courts and employment tribunals.

Government Spending

The Act specifies that any increase in the expenses of a Minister of the Crown attributable to this Act will be paid out of money provided by Parliament. No specific figures are provided in the text.

Groups Affected

Employers: Subject to anti-discrimination laws, equal pay regulations, and gender pay gap reporting requirements. May face legal action and penalties for non-compliance.
Employees and job applicants: Protected from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. Have legal avenues to address unfair treatment.
Service providers: Must not discriminate in providing services to the public.
Public authorities: Have a duty to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations.
Educational institutions: Subject to anti-discrimination laws and have responsibilities for creating accessible environments for disabled pupils and students.
Associations: Must not discriminate in their membership, activities, or provision of services.
Disabled persons: Entitled to reasonable adjustments to avoid substantial disadvantages in various areas.
Women: Protected from discrimination related to pregnancy and maternity.

Full Text

DISCLAIMER: AI technology is not 100% accurate and summaries may contain errors, use at your own risk. Munro Research holds the copyright for all summaries found this website. Reproduction for non-commercial purposes is permitted but must be displayed alongside a link to this website. Contact info@munro-research to license commercially.