Employers must ensure that their business is compliant with anti-discrimination laws. 

This Equal Opportunities Policy aims to ensure that both Employer and Employees act within the law, with particular regard to the Equality Act 2010 ("the Act").

The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person who has a protected characteristic. The protected characteristics defined within the Act are: race; age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage or Civil Partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race, ethnicity or national origin; sex; sexual orientation; and religious beliefs (or lack of).

An Employer must ensure that they do not act in a discriminatory manner to anyone. An Employer must also ensure that their Employees do not act in a discriminatory manner to anyone.

By having an Equal Opportunities Policy in place and by making staff aware of it, an Employer reduces their potential liability in respect of potential claims of acting in a discriminatory manner.

This Equal Opportunities Policy template contains the following clauses / provisions:

1. Overview

2. Responsibility

3. Acting on Discriminatory Behaviour

4. Objective

5. Discrimination

6. Protected Characteristics

7. Duty to Make Adjustments

8. Positive Action in Recruitment

This Equal Opportunities Policy is in Microsoft Word format, written in plain English easy to use and edit.