Process for complaints under the Equality Act 2010

If you were subject to unlawful treatment (such as discrimination, harassment, or victimisation) on or after 1 October 2010 the Equality Act applies.

For example, if you experienced sex discrimination on 30 September 2010 and it continued until 2 October 2010, and you wish to make a complaint or bring legal proceedings, the Equality Act 2010 will apply, not the Sex Discrimination Act. The same goes for any other form of unlawful treatment experienced before 1 October 2010 that continues on or after this date.

There are a variety of actions you can take to complain about unlawful treatment.  These can be found on the DirectGov website:
Things you can do to complain about unlawful treatment

Obtaining information from your employer or service provider

In addition to the information on DirectGov, there are a number of ways for you to seek further information from the person or organisation you feel is responsible for treating you unfairly.  There are two sets of forms available from the download section below.

The questions and answers forms have been designed to help the person making the complaint, and the person or organisation responding, to identify information which is relevant to the issue raised by the complainant.  They provide a framework for individuals and organisations to ask and answer questions about matters relevant to claims under the Equality Act. Use of the forms is voluntary for both parties. Guidance on the process of completing the forms is also available from the download section below.

Forms and guidance:

Date: Thu Jun 23 16:55:36 BST 2011

• Discrimination and other prohibited conduct complaints: Questionnaire (Microsoft Word file - 131kb)
• Discrimination and other prohibited conduct complaints: Answer form (Microsoft Word file - 131kb)
• Discrimination and other prohibited conduct complaints: Guidance - Obtaining information (PDF file - 164kb)

  The purpose of this guidance is to explain the process for people who think they may have been treated unlawfully to obtain information under section 138 of the Equality Act 2010, in relation to a complaint about possible discriminatory or similar conduct by an employer or service provider. If a person thinks that they may have been treated unlawfully, they can use the forms above to help them get information from the person or organisation they feel is responsible.

• Equality of terms (equal pay) complaints: Questionnaire (Microsoft Word file - 119kb)
• Equality of terms (equal pay) complaints: Answer form (Microsoft Word file - 119kb)
• Equality of terms (equal pay) complaints: Guidance - Obtaining information (PDF file - 137kb)

  The purpose of this guidance is to explain the process for people who think they may have been treated unlawfully to obtain information under section 138 of the Equality Act 2010.

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