Topic 8: Legislation to protect all groups (Note: You can only use this once on the exam)
Learning intentions:
Investigating the legislation that protects all groups covered
Breaking down the key features of the legislation
Assessing the ways in which the legislation addresses their needs
Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation
To consider how a range of care workers would use anti-discriminatory practise
Success Criteria
Can I name the legislation that protects all groups covered?
Can I explain the key features of this legislation?
Can I assess how this legislation meets the client’s needs?
Can I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this act?
Research Questions:
1. …show more content…
Who is protected under the Equality Act (protected characteristics)?
a) Age- The Act protects employees of all ages but remains the only protected characteristic that allows employers to justify direct discrimination, i.e. if an employer can demonstrate that to apply different treatment because of someone's age constitutes a proportionate means of meeting a legitimate aim, then no discrimination will have taken place. The Act continues to allow employers to have a default retirement age of 65, as long as the default retirement age remains.
b) Disability- The Act includes a new protection arising from disability and now states that it is unfair to treat a disabled person unfavorably because of something connected with a disability. An example provided is the tendency to make spelling mistakes arising from dyslexia. Also, indirect discrimination now covers disabled people, which mean that a job applicant could claim that a particular rule or requirement disadvantages people with that disability.
c) Gender reassignment- It is discriminatory to treat people who propose to start to or have completed a process to change their gender less favorably, for example, because they are absent from work for this