The Government yesterday confirmed that the main provisions of the Equality Act 2010 will come into force on 1 October 2010, and has made transitional provisions concerning discriminatory acts occurring before 1 October.
On 1 October, the elements of the Equality Act 2010 that will come into force include:
- the definition of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation;
- provisions prohibiting discrimination in employment;
- the prohibition of direct discrimination, which is less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic, including less favourable treatment because of an association with someone who has a protected characteristic or a mistaken belief that someone has a protected characteristic;
- the prohibition of indirect discrimination, which is where a provision, criterion or practice is discriminatory in relation to a protected characteristic, and the extension of indirect discrimination to disability;
- the prohibition of discrimination arising from disability, which is unfavourable treatment because of something arising in consequence of a disability;
- the duty to make reasonable adjustments where a provision, criterion, practice or physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people; and
- the duty to take reasonable steps to provide an auxiliary aid where a disabled person is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.
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Additional elements to come into force at the end of next week are listed here
