It’s
amazing how many people I meet in my business life who are aware that
laws exist relating to equality, but STILL don’t realise that UK equality law doesn't just apply to recruitment, but also covers how companies deal with their customers.
In
fact, many people incorrectly cite the 'Race Relations Act' and the 'Sex
Discrimination Act' as being examples of UK equality legislation, when these
two laws no longer exist, and have been replaced by The
Equality Act 2010.
The
Equality Act does not just cover employment law. It also covers:
1. businesses which provide goods or services like banks, shops, or utility
companies
2. health
and care providers such as hospitals or care homes
3. someone
you rent or buy a property from like housing associations and estate agents
4. schools,
colleges and other education providers
5. transport
services such as buses, trains and taxis
6. public
bodies like government departments and local authorities
The
Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against customers in the
provision of goods and services on the basis of:
1. Gender
2. Gender
reassignment
3. Sexual
orientation
4. Pregnancy
and maternity
5. Disability
6. Religion (or lack of one)
7. Age
8. Race
(Incidentally,
the Equality Act 2010 also prevents discrimination on the basis of marriage or civil
partnership as well, but this only applies to employment law and not to consumer
law).
The Equality Act also:
1. Prevents
employers from discriminating against people who have responsibilities of care
for family members outside of the workplace
2. Requires
employers to prevent bullying and harassment and stop those who make complaints
being victimised because of it
3. Requires that employers make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to accommodate
the needs of disabled people
4. Requires
employers to devise and implement equality policies and procedures
Equality Act Training
If
you run any type of business (even if you are a sole trader) then
it is essential that you fully understand the Equality Act and what impact it
has on your company. Darren Bugg (the editor of this blog) is an expert on the Act and
provides cost-effective half day training courses for companies of all sizes - click here for more details.
About Darren Bugg
In
addition to being legally qualified, Darren is also a fully qualified trainer
and works as a lecturer in Management and Leadership at postgraduate level and Business Studies at undergraduate level. He frequently covers the
Equality Act (and other areas of business law) in his postgraduate teaching and lecturing work.
Darren is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers (Registration Number:
10037132) and holds a recognised Award in education and training, along with
all the certifications required by the UK Department for Education including
DBS and diplomas in Equality, Diversity and Safeguarding.
Click here for
more details about Darren’s courses