The new Equality Act
The Equality Act received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010. It harmonises existing anti-discrimination law, including the Equal Pay Act, into a single piece of legislation. The original objective of the Equality Act was to create “a clearer, more streamlined equality framework” and a number of new provisions were added during its passage through Parliament that have implications for employers and employees.
The main provisions of the Act, which apply to England,
Wales and Scotland, but not Northern Ireland, will come
into force in October 2010, unless otherwise stated. The
key details of the legislation as they affect the workplace
are summarised under the relevant headings below.
New terminology
The Act provides protection against discrimination on the
following grounds:
age; disability; gender–reassignment; marriage and civil
partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or
belief; sex; and sexual orientation.