Work & volunteering · England
If you face discrimination at work
Your browser or device provides the reading voice.
The Equality Act helps protect people from discrimination.
This guide is about work and applying for jobs in England.
What discrimination means
Discrimination means certain kinds of unlawful unfair treatment.
The law protects disability and other personal characteristics.
Not every unfair decision is discrimination.
Different working arrangements can have different rights.
Ask for advice if you are a volunteer or on a placement.
You do not need two years in a job to claim discrimination.
Different kinds of discrimination
Direct discrimination means worse treatment because of disability or another protected characteristic.
For example, an employer may wrongly refuse someone because they have a learning disability.
A rule can disadvantage disabled people even if everyone follows it.
This may be indirect discrimination.
Ask why the rule is needed and what could change.
You might be treated badly because of something caused by your disability.
This could include needing disability-related breaks.
Ask for advice about whether this is unlawful.
Employers may need to change how work is done.
These changes are called reasonable adjustments.
Explain what is difficult and what support could help.
Harassment and speaking up
Disability-related insults or mockery may be harassment.
Unwanted sexual behaviour can also be harassment.
Tell someone and ask for help.
Harassment can come from customers or other people you meet at work.
Ask your employer what they will do to protect you.
You should not be treated worse for raising a discrimination concern.
You are also protected when helping someone with certain equality complaints.
This protection is called protection from victimisation.
Records, advice and deadlines
Keep a record of what happened.
Include dates, people, messages and how it affected you.
Keep your notes somewhere safe.
Ask your union, Acas or an adviser for help.
Ask for a complaints process you can understand.
Get advice before leaving your job because of a problem.
There are strict time limits for legal claims.
The rules changed on 1 October 2026.
Earlier problems can have a shorter time limit.
Ask someone to check your deadline straight away.
A work complaint does not stop the legal time limit.
Usually you must tell Acas before making a tribunal claim.
Telling Acas is not the same as making the claim.
Get help with the next steps and dates.
What you can do next
Write down what happened and what you want changed.
Ask for advice promptly.
Ask for your legal deadline to be checked.
Read Acas information about discrimination Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- Acas: discrimination at work Web page
Types of discrimination and routes to advice.
- Acas: raising a discrimination concern Web page
Recording what happened and asking your employer to act.
- Check current tribunal time limits Web page
The October 2026 change, earlier incidents and the effect of early conciliation.
- Acas: early conciliation Web page
The process, certificate and time-limit information.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Equality Act rights and discrimination at work
Recognise different forms of discrimination, record concerns and get help before legal time limits expire.
Work and recruitment · England · Disability examples and wider equality rights
Who and what the law protects
The Equality Act covers disability and eight other protected characteristics: age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Employment protections cover applicants, employees and many workers, including some people contracted to work personally. Genuine volunteers do not automatically have these employment protections; status and other legal routes need checking. Discrimination claims do not require two years’ service. This guide focuses on disability examples, not every rule for every characteristic.
What disability means in law
Usually, disability means a physical or mental impairment with a substantial, long-term adverse effect on normal daily activities. Substantial means more than minor or trivial. Long-term includes effects lasting, or likely to last, at least 12 months or the rest of someone’s life. Recurring effects can count. Some conditions are protected automatically. Describe effects and support needs, not only a diagnostic label.
Direct discrimination: section 13
This means less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic. For example, rejecting an otherwise suitable applicant because the employer does not want someone with a learning disability could be direct discrimination. The comparison is with how someone in materially similar circumstances is or would be treated without that disability. The examples here illustrate possible issues; the evidence and legal tests still need assessment.
Indirect discrimination: section 19
A rule, requirement or practice may apply to everyone but particularly disadvantage people sharing a protected characteristic, and disadvantage the individual too. For example, an unnecessary timed written test may disadvantage people with a particular learning disability. The employer may defend the rule if it is a proportionate way to achieve a legitimate aim. Identify the precise rule, the group disadvantage, the personal impact and possible alternatives; unfairness alone does not establish this claim.
Discrimination arising from disability: section 15
This concerns unfavourable treatment because of something resulting from disability, such as disability-related absence or a need for breaks. It does not require comparison with another worker. An employer may defend the treatment as proportionate to a legitimate aim. The provision does not apply if the employer did not know, and could not reasonably have been expected to know, of the disability.
Failure to make reasonable adjustments: sections 20–21
A workplace rule, physical feature or lack of an aid may put a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people. The employer must take reasonable steps where the duty applies. Employment knowledge rules concern both disability and the likely disadvantage. Examples may include accessible instructions, training or changes to working arrangements. Explain the barrier and possible support. The employer pays for required adjustments; Access to Work does not replace this duty.
Harassment: section 26
Unwanted conduct related to disability can be harassment if its purpose or effect is to violate dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. For example, disability-related mockery may qualify. When considering effect, the law takes account of the person’s perception, the circumstances and whether that effect is reasonable. Sexual harassment has its own provisions.
Harassment from customers and other third parties
From 30 October 2026, employers can be liable for harassment by customers, clients, service users or other third parties during employment if they failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent it. Employers must also take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. Report incidents and ask what protective action will follow. Liability is not automatic: the conduct, setting and prevention steps matter.
Victimisation: section 27
Victimisation means being put at a disadvantage because of a protected act, or because someone believes you have done or may do one. Protected acts include alleging an Equality Act breach, supporting a discrimination complaint or giving relevant evidence. A general complaint is not automatically a protected act. A complaint need not succeed to attract protection; false allegations or evidence given in bad faith are excluded.
Record the event and its impact
Keep dates, who did what, the words used, witnesses and relevant messages or documents. Record how each event affected work, health or opportunities. Separate what you observed from what you infer about someone’s reasons. For adjustments, record the barrier, requested support, response and what happened afterwards. Keep records securely and lawfully; do not take unrelated confidential material.
Raise concerns and get appropriate help
You can seek help from a union, Acas or an employment adviser. Explain the facts, why you think equality rights are involved and what you want changed. A formal grievance may be appropriate; use the linked guide and ask for an accessible process. Seek advice before resigning or accepting an agreement that settles legal rights. A tribunal decides disputed legal breaches; a workplace complaint and a legal claim are different processes.
Time limits changed on 1 October 2026
For most employment tribunal claims where the relevant date is on or after 1 October 2026, the usual limit is six months minus one day. For earlier relevant dates, it is usually three months minus one day. This is a starting point, not a calculation for your case. Different acts, failures to act, continuing conduct and transitional rules affect the relevant date. Continuing harm does not automatically make an earlier completed act ongoing. Get advice about every proposed claim promptly.
Grievances and Acas early conciliation
A grievance, appeal or ongoing employer investigation does not stop the tribunal clock. A later grievance outcome does not automatically revive older acts. Usually you must notify Acas before claiming, subject to limited exemptions. Timely notification engages early-conciliation time-limit rules; the certificate affects the final deadline. Notification is not itself a tribunal claim. Do not assume late notification revives an expired deadline or that an extension will be allowed. Get the exact deadline checked and keep the certificate.
Words you could use
“On …, … happened. I believe this may involve disability discrimination because … The effect on me was … I would like … Please explain your response and the adjustments available for the process.”
More useful links
- Acas: discrimination at work Web page
Types of discrimination and routes to advice.
- Acas: raising a discrimination concern Web page
Recording what happened and asking your employer to act.
- Check current tribunal time limits Web page
The October 2026 change, earlier incidents and the effect of early conciliation.
- Acas: early conciliation Web page
The process, certificate and time-limit information.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 1 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- GOV.UK: employment status and rights Web page
Equality Act work coverage, personal work contracts and volunteering distinctions.
- GOV.UK: definition of disability Web page
Substantial and long-term effects, recurring and automatically protected conditions.
- Equality Act 2010, section 13 Web page
Direct discrimination and the comparison required.
- Equality Act 2010, section 19 Web page
Indirect discrimination, group and individual disadvantage and objective justification.
- Equality Act 2010, section 15 Web page
Discrimination arising from disability and the knowledge defence.
- Equality Act 2010, sections 20–21 Web page
Reasonable adjustment duties, accessible information and costs; see also section 21.
- Equality Act 2010, Schedule 8 Web page
Employment adjustment rules and knowledge of disability and disadvantage.
- Equality Act 2010, section 26 Web page
Harassment, purpose or effect, perception and reasonableness.
- Equality Act 2010, section 27 Web page
Protected acts, detriment and the bad-faith exception.
- Acas: reasonable adjustments Web page
Individual support, employer costs and Access to Work.
- GOV.UK: October 2026 harassment changes Web page
All reasonable steps and third-party harassment from 30 October 2026.
- Employment Rights Act 2025, harassment provisions Web page
Sections 20–22 and commencement references for the October 2026 changes.
- Acas: recording discrimination concerns Web page
Dates, evidence, witnesses, impact and raising the issue.
- Acas: employment tribunal time limits Web page
Updated 1 October 2026: six-month limits, earlier matters and no pause for grievances.
- Commencement and transitional provisions: SI 2026/954 Web page
Regulations 3–4 commence the extension on 1 October 2026 and preserve earlier relevant dates.
- Acas: early conciliation process Web page
Notification, certificate and the need to calculate the final deadline.
- Acas: discrimination and dismissal Web page
Discrimination claims do not require two years’ employment.
A page for you to fill in
You can type your answers and download a copy.
You can also print a page to write or draw on.
Someone you trust can help you.