Equality, Diversity and Discrimination
Course Overview
In this course we're going to be discussing two topics, 'equality' and diversity' and how they relate to one another. Understanding this will help us to identify and address issues of unfairness and discrimination in the workplace.
Course Content
Equality is the state of being equal, especially in rights and opportunities. Diversity is the state of being different or varied. These aren't opposites — people can be different from one another while still holding the same rights, and this distinction underpins the whole course.
This is the core UK legislation behind Equality Act training online, bringing together previous separate discrimination laws into one Act. It makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic.
The Equality Act 2010 protects: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Every employer needs staff to understand these, since discrimination claims most often arise from actions relating to one of these nine areas.
Direct discrimination means treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic. Indirect discrimination means applying a rule or policy that appears neutral but disproportionately disadvantages people with a particular characteristic, even without deliberate intent.
Harassment means unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates someone's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment. Victimisation means treating someone unfairly because they've made or supported a complaint about discrimination.
Alongside deliberate discrimination, this equality diversity inclusion course covers unconscious bias — the automatic, unintentional assumptions we all make about people, and practical steps to recognise and reduce their influence on workplace decisions. Delivering unconscious bias training online alongside the wider equality and diversity content means staff can revisit the material and complete practical exercises at their own pace rather than in a single classroom session.
Employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace, and can be held liable for the actions of their employees if reasonable steps to prevent this weren't taken. Diversity training for staff is one of the clearest ways an employer demonstrates it has taken those reasonable steps.
Every employee benefits from this course, since equality and diversity responsibilities apply to everyone in a workplace, not just managers or HR. It's particularly valuable for anyone involved in recruitment, managing others, or handling complaints.
Course Duration
70 mins
Course Certification
Approved by CPD
