‘Equality Act Update’

In essence, these revolve around the following issues:

• The basic framework of protection against direct and indirect discrimination

• Improving protection from discrimination for people who have or are associated with someone who has a “protected characteristic”

• The new concept of “discrimination arising from disability”

• Prohibition from issuing pre-employment health check questionnaires

• Pay secrecy clauses becoming unenforceable

The Government is also considering ways to implement a new single public sector equality duty which brings together the existing gender, race and disability duties and extends them to cover age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity and religion or belief.

Three sets of regulations (The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010) are also reviewed.

If you would like a copy of the full bulletin – which includes a commentary on some of the recent cases, please email me.