The Equality Act identifies 9 ‘protected characteristics’ -

• Race
• Disability
• Age
• Gender reassignment
• Sexual orientation
• Gender
• Marriage and civil partnerships
• Pregnancy
• Religion or belief

So if you feel you have been treated differently or unfairly for one of these reasons then you may have a claim.

Direct discrimination is when someone is treated less favourably than another person ‘because of’ their protected characteristic they have or are thought to have. 

Indirect discrimination isn’t underhand or sneaky discrimination; it has a very specific definition in law – it is about applying a provision, criteria or practice (PCP) that applies to all but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic. Indirect discrimination can be objectively justified.

This is relatively new as it was introduced under the Equality Act, which says that treatment of a disabled person amounts to discrimination where:

• An employer treats the disabled person unfavourably;
• This treatment is because of something arising in consequence of the disabled person’s disability; and
• The employer cannot show that this treatment is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim,
• Unless the employer does not know, and could not reasonably be expected to know, that the person has the disability.

There are 3 types of harassment :

A) General harassment – Unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual

B) Conduct of a Sexual Nature – where A engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature and the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating B

C) Rejection of or submission to conduct of a sexual nature – where A or another person engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature (or is related to gender reassignment or sex) and the conduct has either the purpose or effect of violating B and because of B’s rejection or submission to the conduct A treats B less favourably than A would treat B if B had not rejected or submitted to the conduct

Victimisation occurs when someone is treated badly as a result of:

• Making a complaint or supporting a complaint under the Equality Act
• Raised a grievance or supported a grievance under the Equality Act or
• They are suspected of doing so