The equality act aims to provide a simpler, more consistent and more effective legal framework for. Most of the equality act will start to apply in october 2010 and this guide covers the main changes coming into effect then. At the time of the study, the equality act had been implemented less than 12 months previously, and there was limited available guidance on section 60 of the act. The act covers discrimination because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
October sees the main provisions of the equality act 2010 coming into force, in a move to update the antidiscrimination laws protecting. The act replaces all previous equality law including the equal pay act, the sex discrimination act, the race relations act, the disability discrimination act and the regulations outlawing discrimination on the basis of age, religion or belief and sexual orientation as well as all other related legislation. Information and guidance on the equality act 2010, including age discrimination and public sector equality duty. New equality legislation affects nurses personally and professionally, and the organisations that employ them. This is nonstatutory advice from the department for education. The guide is based on equality law as it was at 6 april 2014. A department is going to purchase new software to support student assessment. The council and democracy equality guidance and information. Equality act 2010 guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability 5 4. Nov 16, 2014 lecture 5 equality and diversity the equality act 2010 1.
Lecture 5 equality and diversity the equality act 2010. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found. All existing discrimination legislation has been replaced by the equality act 2010, including the disability discrimination act 1995, and, while many principles remain the same, there are important changes to a number of key areas. Sep 22, 2010 most of the equality act 2010 came into force on 1 october 2010 and employers need to make sure they comply with the changes to legislation. The act replaces all previous equality law including the equal pay act, the sex discrimination act, the race relations act, the disability discrimination act and the regulations outlawing discrimination on the basis of age, religion or belief and sexual orientation as well as. Or ensuring that students with dyslexia have access to specialist software on the. The equality act 2010 offers legal protection from discrimination and, whilst youre not expected to know every part from start to finish, you are required to follow the law. The equality act 2010 challenges organisations to know how age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religionbelief, sex, and sexual orientation describe the experiences of local communities, both individually and collectively. Religion, sexual orientation and the equality act 2010. An expanded form of this note which outlines the full impact of the equality act 2010 for both staff and students is available here.
Treat disabled people better than non disabled people. A guide to the equality act 2010 being classified as disabled under the act headways publications are all available to freely download from the information library on the charitys website, while individuals and families can request hard copies of the booklets via the helpline. Legislation in this area dates back to the 1970s when the equal pay 1970 came into effect followed by the. Under the equality act 2010, it is unlawful for any education provider, including a private or independent provider, to discriminate between pupils on grounds of disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, or sex. The stated aim of the act is to reform and harmonise discrimination law, and. Whilst the act does not say it is mandatory for schools to have an equality policy, ehrc guidance volume 7 good equality practice for employers. Jan 14, 2011 new equality legislation affects nurses personally and professionally, and the organisations that employ them. However, the acts disability discrimination provisions are likely to have much more impact on daytoday working life. The equality act 2010 equality guidance and information. Much of the media attention on the equality act 2010 has focused on controversial areas relating to socioeconomic inequality, positive action and gender pay reporting. A substantial disadvantage is a disadvantage which is.
Candidates can read the paper on computer or tablet, zoom in to make the text larger, change the colours to reduce glare or increase contrast, and use texttospeech software to read the questions. The equality act 2010 states that a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and longterm adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal daytoday activities. A substantial disadvantage is a disadvantage which is more than minor or trivial. Lecture 5 equality and diversity the equality act 2010 1. These explanatory notes relate to the equality act 2010 which received royal assent on. Our study suggests that uk ohps are aware of section 60 of the act but may have insufficient knowledge on its specific requirements relating to pehs practice. To fulfil the general requirement, the dfe guidance states that. It simplifies the law and it extends protection from discrimination in some areas. The equality act 2010 the act consolidates and replaces the previous discrimination legislation for england, scotland and wales. In this document, any reference to the act means the equality act 2010. Equality analysis guidance ucl human resources ucl. As far as schools are concerned, for the most part, the effect of the new law is the same as it has been in the past meaning that schools cannot unlawfully discriminate. Equality act 2010 fact sheet what is the equality act 2010. The uks equality act 2010 places an obligation on all organisations to ensure that any services they provide for members of the public are extended equally to people with disabilities, including those who have difficulty in reading or understanding the meaning of words.
The equality act 2010 provides a single, consolidated source of discrimination law. Equality act 2010 factsheet manchester community central. The equality act 2010 the act states that pregnancy and maternity is a protected characteristic. In this article, we take a detailed look at how the equality act. Section 65 of the act enables a minister of the crown to issue guidance about matters to be. The equality act 2010 is an act of parliament of the united kingdom with the primary purpose of consolidating, updating and supplementing the numerous prior acts and regulations, that formed the basis of antidiscrimination law in great britain. Disabled children and the equality act 2010 for schools. A driver for some firms is in enhancing a brands reputation. It analyses recent church of england guidance on appointing bishops in relation to the equality act 2010 and its religious exemptions to nondiscrimination provisions. There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation. Equality act 2010 the history of education in england. After over a decade in force, the ddas requirements were merged into the equality act 2010. Billed as a major step for discrimination law, the aim is to deliver a simple, modern and accessible framework to protect individuals from unfair treatment and promote a fair and more equal society. Equality act 2010 summary guidance on services, public.
I investigate whether formal church teaching and the guidance owe more to heteronormativity than the purely scriptural mandate that is claimed. The equality act came into force on 1 october 2010 and it aims to provide a simpler, more consistent and more effective legal framework for preventing discrimination. The equality and diversity website is also a useful source of information. Prior to the introduction of the equality act 2010 there was a confusing mix of antidiscrimination and equality laws. The equality act came into force in october 2010, bringing together different laws. The act generally defines a disabled person as a person with a disability. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
This guidance concerns the definition of disability in the act. The legislation was intended to harmonise a number of different pieces of legislation to provide a single act to harmonise the law and provide a single framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance the. Jul 09, 2010 much of the media attention on the equality act 2010 has focused on controversial areas relating to socioeconomic inequality, positive action and gender pay reporting. Papers in question and answer format have red answer boxes into which candidates can type or dictate, with speech recognition their answers.
The majority of the act came into force in october 2010 and brought together nine separate pieces of antidiscrimination legislation, including major parts of the disability discrimination act 1995. Equality act 2010 provisions for carers people first. The equality act 2010 simplifies the current laws and puts them all together in one piece of legislation. The stated aim of the act is to reform and harmonise discrimination law, and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality.
The equality act 2010 was introduced to legally protect people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society the act came into force on 1st october 2010. Requests are supposed to be considered on the basis of the business needs of the organisation, but a manager decides that amans request to work flexibly to care. Access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special. A bus driver does not allow a muslim man onto her bus, claiming that he. It has been replaced by a new dedicated equality act page, available here. On 1 october 2010, the equality act 2010 replaced all existing equality legislation such. Gay bishops in the church of england negotiating rights against discrimination.
The equality act aims to provide a simpler, more consistent and more effective legal framework for preventing discrimination. Since 2 december 1996 when the disability discrimination act 1995 came into force website owners have been obliged to ensure that their websites are accessible to users with disabilities. The equality act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace. So depending on your circumstances, the new act may protect you more. Its about recognising and respecting diversity enough to adapt practice and procedure to suit all. Youre disabled under the equality act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and longterm negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. According to the uk government, the definition of a disability under the equality act 2010 is. Jun 16, 2015 information and guidance on the equality act 2010, including age discrimination and public sector equality duty. About symbols compliance with the equality act widgit. Equality act 2010 public and commercial services union. The equality act 2010 prohibits discrimination against people with the protected characteristics that are specified in section 4 of the act.
Equality act 2010 information for schools bradford schools online. It analyses recent church of england guidance on appointing bishops in relation to the equality. Author wendy irwin is the diversity and equality coordinator, royal college of nursing. However it does say that councils should make their own decisions as to the nature and. The act brings together all previous equality laws, making them simpler. Equality act 2010 equality compliance equality and. Website accessibility and the equality act 2010 seq legal. The act extends the protection to cover discrimination in relation to public functions, education and associations, where no such protection previously existed. The equality act gives legal protection to people who find they are discriminated against at work, when buying goods or when accessing services. Under the work provisions of the act a woman is protected from being discriminated. However the key test is reasonableness and what may be reasonable for. It can however refer to the law and guidance on discrimination to form an.
Equality act 2010 2010 chapter 15 an act 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 socioeconomic inequalities. In this way awarding bodies will comply with the duty of the equality act 2010 to make reasonable. Home society and culture equality, rights and citizenship. If you work or provide a service, paid or unpaid, in health and social care, weve got information and guidance about a number of procedures, resources and training initiatives. Summary guidance on services, public functions and associations. Equality act 2010 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 17 february 2020. Equality act 2010 summary guidance on services, public functions.
Before that date, there were several separate legislative acts such as the race relations act, disability discrimination act and sex discrimination act, each of which covered different aspects of discrimination. In 2010 most of the disability discrimination act was replaced by duties in the equality act. Nationally the nhs has promoted the development of appropriate local equality analysis tools, which are both transparent and simple to use. Discrimination and protected characteristics guidance video. Equality act 2010 summary guidance on employment msword2003. An introduction to the equality act 2010 the equalities act 2010 was passed on 8 april 2010 and most of the provisions of the act have now come into force. Additionally, if you feel discriminated against, youre able to cite the equality act to ensure that the discrimination doesnt continue. Where they issue guidance to bodies they have listed, the welsh or scottish.
The equality act 2010 removed the requirement to follow a prescriptive equality impact assessment, but not the requirement to demonstrate equality compliance. Equality act 2010 guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability 3 status and purpose of the guidance this guidance is issued by the secretary of state under section 65 of the equality act 2010. A person has a disability for the purposes of the act if he or she has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a. Advice and support equality advisory and support service. Equality act 2010 technical guidance on further and higher. Disability discrimination under the equality act 2010. The office for disability issuesv provides guidance on a range of issues to be taken. Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. The legal status of this guidance this guidance applies to england, scotland and wales. Equality framework for local government local government. The act simplifies and has replaced the large number of acts and regulations, which formed the basis of antidiscrimination law such as the equal pay act 1970, the sex discrimination act. The legislation was intended to harmonise a number of different pieces of legislation to provide a single act to harmonise the law and provide a single framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance the principle of equality for all persons. It draws on the services, public functions and associations code of practice. Assessing equality the equality act 2010 approach clg guidance suggests that councils must consult with communities before making a final decision as to the shape of a local ctb scheme and that this should be for a twelve week period.
Direct discrimination treating a person less favourably on the grounds of e. It is supported by the law the equality act 2010 and also makes good business sense in running and developing. The equality act 2010 provides a single legal framework to provide a more. The equality act 2010 makes it law that every private, public and voluntary organisation must not discriminate against employees and people that use their services because of particular characteristics. Adopting a system which may not accommodate different needs could. Those changes will be listed when you open the content using the table of contents below. Equality act 2010, guidance the equality act 2010 appeared as a. The ehrc website and the equality challenge unit ecu provide further guidance on both statutory regulations and good practice. This affects both students as users and administrative staff as processers of the information. Manchester has a proud history of meeting and beating its legal requirements on equality, and the council is committed to continuing this trend in line with the current legislation in this area. An employer makes a job applicant feel humiliated by telling jokes about their religion or belief during the interview. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Published 27 february 20 last updated 16 june 2015 see all updates. On 1 october 2010, the main provisions of the equality act 2010 came into force.