Protected characteristic
Plain-English definitions for England and Wales. General information, not legal advice. Laws and figures change - always check the current position on GOV.UK.
Protected characteristic One of the nine characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Treating someone unfavourably because of one of these can be unlawful.
Related terms
- Direct discrimination
- Treating someone less favourably than others because of a protected characteristic - such as age, disability, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation - under the Equality Act 2010.
- Indirect discrimination
- Where a provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone puts people who share a protected characteristic at a particular disadvantage, and the employer cannot objectively justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
- Reasonable adjustments
- Changes an employer must consider making to remove or reduce a disadvantage that a disabled person faces at work - for example adjusting duties, equipment, or working arrangements. The duty arises under the Equality Act 2010.
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