What are the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010?
The Equality Act 2010 lists nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. In Great Britain, employers must not discriminate against job applicants, workers or former workers because of any of them.
The nine characteristics
Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the list. GOV.UK explains that race includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin. The Act does not apply in Northern Ireland, which has its own equality law.
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
Who and what is covered at work
Acas says the law protects anyone who works for an employer, contractors and self-employed people hired to personally do the work, job applicants and former workers. GOV.UK lists the areas covered, including recruitment, pay and benefits, terms and conditions, training, promotion, redundancy and dismissal.
People are also protected if they are associated with someone who has a protected characteristic, or if they have complained about discrimination or supported someone else's complaint.
Types of discrimination
The Act covers direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Disabled people also have the right to reasonable adjustments. Acas notes that pregnancy and maternity discrimination means 'unfavourable' treatment, so no comparison with someone else is needed.
Some treatment can be lawful: Acas lists positive action, objective justification, the disability exception and occupational requirements. Acas also says employers can be held responsible for the actions of their workers (vicarious liability).
What is changing
Employers already have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. From 30 October 2026, under the Employment Rights Act 2025, this becomes a duty to take 'all reasonable steps', alongside a new obligation not to permit harassment of employees by third parties.
The law
“The following characteristics are protected characteristics…”
“An employer (A) must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees…”
Sources
- Discrimination: your rights · GOV.UK
- Discrimination and the Equality Act 2010 · Acas
- Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 · GOV.UK
- Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update · GOV.UK
General information for employers in Great Britain, not legal advice. Check the official sources for your situation.
- Duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and third-party harassment duty begin
Future dates are expected dates and depend on Parliament.
What employers can do
- Check that your equality policy names all nine protected characteristics
- Review recruitment, pay, promotion and redundancy decisions for direct and indirect discrimination
- Train managers on harassment, victimisation and how to handle complaints
- Update your sexual harassment risk assessment and prevention steps ahead of 30 October 2026
- Keep a record of the reasons for decisions that affect employees with protected characteristics
Recent tribunal decisions on this topic
Tribunal tracker- K.T.C (Edibles) Ltd Public interest disclosureRace discriminationUnfair dismissal Read the decision on GOV.UK
- Kerry Ingredients (UK) Ltd Race discriminationUnfair dismissal Read the decision on GOV.UK
- Dedienne Aerospace UK Ltd Breach of contractDisability discriminationUnlawful deduction from wages Read the decision on GOV.UK
Being listed does not mean a claim succeeded. Read the decision for the outcome; decisions can be reconsidered or appealed. If a listing concerns you, or a decision has since been anonymised or removed, tell us and we will review it and remove it where appropriate.
Related answers
- When must employers make reasonable adjustments? Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that a worker or job applicant is disabled and is likely to be put at a substantial disadvantage by a working practice, a physical feature or the lack of an auxiliary aid. The employer pays for the adjustments.
- How does the law protect religion or belief at work? Religion or belief is one of the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. It covers any religion, any religious or philosophical belief, and having no religion or belief. Employers must not directly or indirectly discriminate, harass or victimise anyone because of it, and Acas says they should try to accommodate related requests where possible.
- What does the duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment mean for employers? From 30 October 2026, employers in Great Britain must take all reasonable steps, not just reasonable steps, to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. The same date brings a new duty not to permit harassment of employees by third parties such as customers. What counts as reasonable depends on the employer's size, sector, working environment and resources.