Equality Act 2010 Flashcards
What is the ‘Equality Act 2010’?
The Equality Act 2010 brings together several existing laws such as the Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act and Disability Discrimination Act and significantly adds to them and strengthens them into one piece of legislations. It sets out the different ways in which it it unlawful to treat a person
What are the key point of the Equality Act?
- Identifies nine protected characteristics
- Sets out where and when discrimination is prohibited
- Makes discrimination due to association illegal
- Makes victimisation and harassment illegal
- States that organisations must make reasonable adjustments
What are the nine protected characteristics?
- Age
- Gender reassignment
- Disability
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
What does the Equality Act state about where and when discrimination is prohibited?
States that discrimination is prohibited in education, employment, access to goods and services and housing
What does ‘discrimination due to association’ mean?
This means someone should not experience discrimination if they care for an individual with a protected characteristic
What does ‘victimisation’ mean?
Victimisation refers to people being treated poorly as a result of making a complaint about discrimination
What does ‘harassment’ mean?
Harassment refers to unwanted, humiliating or intimidating behaviour that an individual finds offensive
What does ‘reasonable adjustments’ mean?
This means that an organisation (e.g. a care provider) should make adaptations to the environment to make it accessible for individuals with disabilities - e.g. wheelchair access ramps, hearing loops, flexible working hours, etc.
What are some other features of this law?
- Women have to right to breastfeed in public
- It makes secrecy clauses illegal (so companies cannot stop individuals disclosing how much they earn, to ensure people receive equal pay)
- It encourages positive action (so this means that people with protected characteristics can be encouraged to apply for jobs where they are under-represented)
EXAMPLE QUESTION:
Isa is Filipino and was born a man. She was recently in hospital for an operation to remove her gall bladder. While there, she was placed on a male ward and one of the female nurses refused to help her dress and go to the toilet.
In what way is the treatment she has received in breach of the Equality Act?
The fact that she was not given a choice of doctor and was placed on a male ward means she was discriminated against based on her gender reassignment. The nurses refusing to treat her is illegal and the hospital is in breach of the law as a result of this behaviour
EXAMPLE QUESTION:
Imagine you are the headteacher of a primary school. How can you ensure that the school encourages diversity and treats everyone (staff and pupils) with equality?
Come up with suggestions of ways the school could do this.
- Having lots of different books for the children to read which include characters from different cultures and backgrounds
- Celebrating and learning about different events such as Black History Month, International Women’s Month, etc.
- Celebrating and learning about different events such as Black History Month, International Women’s Month, etc.
- Forming strong relationships with parents so that the same ethos of inclusion and respecting diversity is followed at home as well as within the school (as well as welcoming parents of all backgrounds)
- The staff receiving training and feeling confident to use inclusive language when talking about individuals with different disabilities, LGBT or those from different backgrounds
- The children being taught and understanding about different types of bullying and why it is wrong
- The school celebrating their own diversity week
