Unlocking Employment Law

9Protection from discrimination

Introduction (the Equality Act 2010)

Aim and Objectives

After reading this chapter you should be able to:

• ■ Understand the background to the law on discrimination in employment and its limitations prior to the Equality Act 2010
• ■ Understand the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
• ■ Understand the different types of prohibited practices under the Equality Act 2010
• ■ Understand the nature of occupational requirements
• ■ Understand the contexts in which discrimination might occur in employment
• ■ Critically analyse the area
• ■ Apply the law to factual situations and reach conclusions

9.1 The origins of UK discrimination law

Before the first Race Relations Act in 1965 discrimination in effect was perfectly ...