Equal Opportunities Policy for UK employers. Covers the nine Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics, harassment and ERA 2025 updates. From £9.99.
An Equal Opportunities Policy sets out an employer's commitment to treating job applicants and employees fairly and explains the legal protections that apply. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination based on nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Since 26 October 2024, employers have been under a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of workers — a duty that strengthens further under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Every employer with staff needs an Equal Opportunities Policy. There is no minimum headcount. Employment tribunals look for a written policy as evidence that discrimination and harassment complaints were taken seriously. The strengthened anti-harassment duty in force since October 2024 — and the further ERA 2025 duty to take all reasonable steps, extending employer liability to third-party harassment — make a current, accurate policy more important than ever.
All nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The four prohibited forms of conduct: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. A dedicated section on harassment and sexual harassment including the proactive prevention duty. Recruitment on merit and reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants. Raising a concern — informal and formal routes. Responsibilities of the employer and of every individual employee. A monitoring section tailored to whether you collect anonymised diversity data.
An Equal Opportunities Policy works alongside a Whistleblowing Policy — which allows workers to raise concerns about harassment or wrongdoing as a qualifying disclosure — and a Disciplinary and Grievance Policy, which sets out the formal procedure if a complaint is not resolved informally.
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