Protected Characteristics  

The following protected characteristics are covered by the Equality Act (section 4, EqA): 

  • Age: This refers to “a person of a particular age group”, which includes persons of a “particular age” or “range of ages” (section 5, EqA).  
  • Disability: A person has a disability if they have “a physical or mental impairment” which has a “substantial and long-term adverse effect” on their “ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities” (section 6, EqA). 
  • Gender reassignment: “A person has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment if the person is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process (or part of a process) to reassign the person’s sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex” (section 7, EqA). 
  • Marriage and civil partnership: “A person has the protected characteristic of marriage and civil partnership if the person is married or is a civil partner” (section 8, EqA). 
  • Pregnancy and maternity: in the context of work, this protected characteristic includes (in outline) a person who is pregnant or exercises rights to maternity leave. 
  • Race: The protected characteristic of race includes “colour”, “nationality” and “ethnic or national origins” (section 9, EqA). 
  • Religion or belief: The protected characteristic of religion or belief includes any “religion” and “religious or philosophical belief” as well as a “lack of” religion or belief (section 10, EqA).  
  • Sex: In the context of the protected characteristic of sex, “a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a reference to a man or to a woman” (section 11, EqA).  
  • Sexual orientation: This protected characteristic means “a person’s sexual orientation towards persons of the same sex, persons of the opposite sex, or persons of either sex” (section 12, EqA).