Equality Act 2010 (Bill received Royal Assent 8th April 2010)
The Equality Bill received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010. Key provisions will come into force in October 2010 but there are other key areas that will not come into force until much later.
The new Socio Economic Duty is not due until April 2011, extension of age discrimination to goods and services during 2012 and Gender Pay Audits during 2013.
The Act pulls together in one statute, the core legislation from previous equality acts but it also seeks to strengthen equality of opportunity and diversity by introducing some key provisions:
• Positive Action – where two candidates of “equal” ability apply for the same job, one may be selected based on their “characteristics”.
• A ban of Pre-Employment Health Questionnaires.
• A Single Equality Duty on public authorities integrating previous equality duties and introducing protection to new groups such as Transsexuals.
• Public Bodies will be required to conduct Gender Pay Audits where they have 150 or more employees.
• Banning pay secrecy clauses.
• Introducing discrimination by association as established by the “Coleman Law”, meaning other groups as well as carers will be protected where they are “linked” to an act of discrimination.
• Protecting beliefs that go beyond the scope of the traditional religions, such as humanism or atheism.
• Revising the definition of gender re-assignment .
• The new Act will provide protection from Dual- Discrimination, where two or more characteristics are the cause of discrimination.
Full details of the Equality Bill can be found here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmbills/085/09085_iw/09085_iw_en_1.htm#
The Equality Bill received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010. Key provisions will come into force in October 2010 but there are other key areas that will not come into force until much later.
The new Socio Economic Duty is not due until April 2011, extension of age discrimination to goods and services during 2012 and Gender Pay Audits during 2013.
The Act pulls together in one statute, the core legislation from previous equality acts but it also seeks to strengthen equality of opportunity and diversity by introducing some key provisions:
• Positive Action – where two candidates of “equal” ability apply for the same job, one may be selected based on their “characteristics”.
• A ban of Pre-Employment Health Questionnaires.
• A Single Equality Duty on public authorities integrating previous equality duties and introducing protection to new groups such as Transsexuals.
• Public Bodies will be required to conduct Gender Pay Audits where they have 150 or more employees.
• Banning pay secrecy clauses.
• Introducing discrimination by association as established by the “Coleman Law”, meaning other groups as well as carers will be protected where they are “linked” to an act of discrimination.
• Protecting beliefs that go beyond the scope of the traditional religions, such as humanism or atheism.
• Revising the definition of gender re-assignment .
• The new Act will provide protection from Dual- Discrimination, where two or more characteristics are the cause of discrimination.
Full details of the Equality Bill can be found here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmbills/085/09085_iw/09085_iw_en_1.htm#