Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Discrimination definition

What does Discrimination mean? Discrimination in legal practice describes unfavourable treatment, particular disadvantage, harassment or victimisation because of a protected characteristic, across employment and the provision of services, housing, education and public functions. The concept is defined primarily by legislation and developed through case law. In England & Wales and Scotland, the Equality Act 2010 prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation, discrimination arising from disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments. Protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. In Northern Ireland,...

Part-time workers and pension discrimination in Great Britain: Equality Act 2010, Part-time Workers Regulations 2000, access, treatment, time limits, remedies, and key EU and UK case law

Published by a LexisNexis Pensions expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note cites decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union. For advice on the extent to which EU rulings bind the courts of the United Kingdom, consult Practice Note: Assimilated law — Assimilated case law.

The legislative framework

Two distinct legislative strands must be assessed when considering part-time workers and Discrimination. The first concerns equal treatment as between men and women. Because, historically, women have been more likely than men to work part-time, employment conditions, including pension scheme terms, that treat part-time staff less favourably may amount to discrimination against women. The second concerns measures directed specifically at safeguarding part-time workers.

Equal treatment legislation

Provisions intended to guarantee equality for men and women in relation to pension schemes have a long history. The current domestic position is contained in section 67 of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010), which stipulates that any pension scheme lacking a sex equality rule is to be regarded as if such a rule were included. This ensures pension scheme terms reflect sex equality Requirements within domestic law in practice...

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Elizabeth Ovey

Radcliffe Chambers

Elizabeth has a general Chancery practice with particular emphasis on pensions (developing from the trust side of her practice) and on retail financial services (developing from an early specialisation in building society law). She also does a considerable amount of professional negligence work in these areas and other areas in which a Chancery background is of assistance.Her first substantial involvement in pensions law came when she was instructed in relation to a small miners’ pension scheme during the days of the miners’ strikes in the 1980s and she has done an increasing amount of pensions work since those days. She is a contributing editor of Halsbury’s Laws vol. 80 (Personal and Occupational Pensions) (2020). She is now on the Lexis PSL pensions section editorial board and is a contributor to Lexis PSL through a series of practice notes on various aspects of...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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