The Equality Act 2010 and Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 sits at the centre of this video, which addresses AC 3.3 of the 3CO04 unit by summarising the main points of discrimination legislation for those beginning their journey in people practice. The video covers how this Act consolidated and strengthened all preceding anti-discrimination laws in Great Britain into a single coherent framework, and it examines why that consolidation matters for anyone involved in employment decisions. The coverage extends to the broad scope of who receives protection under the Act, including employees, workers, job applicants, former employees, contract workers, and partners in firms, reflecting the principle that discrimination can arise across many different working relationships and employment statuses.

Central to the video are the nine protected characteristics defined by the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Each characteristic is addressed individually, with the video attending to specific details such as the meaning of disability under the Act, the scope of race as a characteristic encompassing colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origins, and the particular position of marriage and civil partnership relative to the other characteristics. The video also draws attention to the distinction between characteristics that are immutable and those that concern deeply held convictions or personal identity.

Beyond the nine characteristics themselves, the video situates the Equality Act within the broader purpose of discrimination legislation — namely, the aim of ensuring that personal characteristics irrelevant to job performance play no part in employment decisions. The indicative content for AC 3.3 informs the scope, meaning the video touches on how protection operates not only during the employment relationship but also before it begins and after it has ended. The four key forms of prohibited conduct — direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation — are named as areas the Act addresses, establishing the legal terrain that underpins people practice at CIPD Level 3.