Equality & Diversity:

Equality and Diversity is the current term used for Equal

Opportunities.

It is the legal obligation to protect against discrimination.

Discrimination can be against a persons sex, gender, disability, sexual

orientation, religion, belief, race or age. Discrimination is about the
way we act. When we act more favourably towards one group of
people than another and that favouritism is based on prejudice, then
we may be said to have discriminated

Equality equal rights and treatment to all individuals

Diversity difference from what is normal or expected Diversity

means valuing the differences between people and the ways in which
those differences can contribute to a richer, more creative and more
productive working environment.

Discrimination can be against a persons sex, gender, disability, sexual

orientation, religion, belief, race or age. Discrimination is about the
way we act. When we act more favourably towards one group of
people than another and that favouritism is based on prejudice, then
we may be said to have discriminated
Direct Discrimination:Person A directly discriminates against Person
B when A treats B less favourably than A would treats or would treat
others in the same circumstances
EG: A 70 year old lady was refused a broadband contract by
Carphone Warehouse in the UK and was told that she could
only register if she came to the store with a younger member
of her family. The Carphone Warehouse had provided guidance
to staff not to sell broadband contracts to customers aged 70+
as they believe they will not understand the terms of the
contract.
Indirect Discrimination
This happens when a requirement is applied equally to
everyone but has the effect of excluding one group of people
more than another

Eg: Your employer brings in a new shift pattern which means

that everyone has to work fewer but longer days. You have a
disability that means youre exhausted after two long days of
working. So the new shift pattern puts you and other people
who have the same disability as you at a disadvantage. Your
employer will have indirectly discriminated against you if it
cant justify the new shift pattern.
Perceptive Discrimination:
Discrimination against an individual because of a perception
that he or she has a protected characteristic when he or she
does not, in fact, have that protected characteristic.

Eg: An employer rejects a job application submitted by a

white man whom the employer wrongly assumes to be black
because he has an African name.
An employee is subjected to religious abuse on the basis that
he supports a particular football team, even though he does
not actually belong to the religion associated with that football
team.
Associative Discrimination:
Less favourable treatment because of someone elses
protected characteristic.
EG: Sharon Coleman claimed managers at Attridge Law called
her lazy when she requested time off to care for her disabled
son. She accepted voluntary redundancy, but later brought a
claim for constructive dismissal and disability discrimination. A
UK employment tribunal referred the case to the European
Court of Justice to clarify European law. The ECJ ruled that
able-bodied people can be covered by the Disability
Discrimination Act because of their association with people
covered by equality law.