Your rights and obligations

Stay up to date with your rights and obligations under the UK Employment Law.

The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and/or victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the act, there are nine protected characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Marriage and civil partnership
5. Pregnancy and maternity
6. Race
7. Religion or belief
8. Sex
9. Sexual orientation

Age discrimination

Age discrimination is being treated differently because of your age in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act

Apprenticeships

All you need to know about recruiting and working with apprentices, including the apprenticeship levy.

Disability discrimination

Disability discrimination is being treated differently because of your disability in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Gender pay reporting

Gender pay gap reporting legislation will require large employers to publish their overall mean and median gender pay gaps from 2018. Under the new laws, employers will have to calculate their gender pay gap from April 2017 and publish the details by April 2018.

• READ RICS' GENDER PAY GAP REPORT

Gender reassignment discrimination

Gender reassignment discrimination is being treated differently because you are transsexual in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Harassment and bullying at work

Bullying and harassment is behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended; harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act.

Marriage and civil partnership discrimination

Marriage and civil partnership discrimination is being treated differently at work because you are married or in a civil partnership.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is being treated differently at work because you are pregnant, breastfeeding or because you have recently given birth.

Race discrimination

Race discrimination is being treated differently because of your race in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Religion and belief discrimination

Religion or belief discrimination is being treated differently because of your religion or belief in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Sex discrimination

Sex discrimination is treated differently because of your sex in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Sexual orientation discrimination

Sexual orientation discrimination is treated differently because of your sexual orientation in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act.

Shared parental leave

Since April 2015, new rights allowing UK parents to share leave following the birth or adoption of their child have come into effect. Up to 50 weeks of leave – 37 weeks of which are paid – can be shared by parents if they meet certain eligibility criteria.