Igualdad y no discriminación
Protección contra discriminación basada en características protegidas.
Introducción
La legislación de igualdad prohíbe la discriminación por razón de características protegidas como raza, sexo y discapacidad.
Principios fundamentales
Protected Characteristics — Nine grounds: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation.
Direct Discrimination — Treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic (s.13).
Indirect Discrimination — Applying a provision, criterion, or practice that disadvantages a group sharing a protected characteristic, unless objectively justified (s.19).
Harassment — Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment (s.26).
Victimisation — Subjecting someone to a detriment because they have made or supported a complaint under the Act (s.27).
Reasonable Adjustments — Employers and service providers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons (ss.20-21).
Public Sector Equality Duty — Public bodies must have due regard to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality, and fostering good relations (s.149).
Positive Action — Permitted measures to address disadvantage or under-representation (s.158).
Leyes clave
Equality Act 2010
Human Rights Act 1998
Casos principales
Essop v Home Office
[2017] UKSC 27
Preddy v Bull
[2013] UKSC 73
Archibald v Fife Council
[2004] UKHL 32
Escenarios comunes
Refused a job because of age
Direct age discrimination under s.13 of the Equality Act 2010. File a claim at the Employment Tribunal within 3 months (less one day) of the act complained of, after early conciliation via ACAS.
Employer fails to provide wheelchair access
Failure to make reasonable adjustments under ss.20-21. The duty is anticipatory for service providers and reactive for employers.