Workplace discrimination: your rights and your claim
Workplace discrimination is being treated worse because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex, race, disability, or pregnancy and maternity, and it is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.
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Do I have a claim?
You may have a discrimination claim if:
- You were treated worse than others because of a protected characteristic, or a policy puts people like you at a disadvantage
- The treatment affected your work: dismissal, being passed over, reduced hours, harassment or exclusion
- Your employer failed to make reasonable adjustments for a disability
- You were punished for complaining about discrimination, which is victimisation and a separate claim
- The act, or the last act in a pattern, happened within the last 3 months
No minimum length of service is required. You can claim from your first day, and about recruitment decisions before you were even hired.
What compensation looks like
Uncapped
Discrimination awards have no upper limit, unlike ordinary unfair dismissal
Financial loss
Lost earnings, pension and benefits, past and future
Injury to feelings
A separate award for the distress caused, banded by seriousness
Not sure where you stand?
Two minutes of questions, and a specialist tells you what your options actually are.
⏱ Strict time limit: 3 months less one dayThe clock normally runs from the discriminatory act, or the last act in a continuing pattern. If treatment is ongoing, get advice now rather than waiting for it to stop.
The five types we cover
Disability discrimination
Includes failure to make reasonable adjustments, and treatment because of something arising from your disability, such as sickness absence. Long-term health conditions often qualify as disabilities even if you do not think of yourself as disabled.
Race discrimination
Covers colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin. Includes harassment, being overlooked for promotion, and patterns of treatment a tribunal can draw inferences from.
Pregnancy and maternity
Protection runs from the start of pregnancy to the end of maternity leave. Redundancy during this window is heavily regulated, and dismissal because of pregnancy is automatically unfair with no service requirement.
Age discrimination
Affects both older and younger workers: being managed out before retirement, passed over as "overqualified", or excluded from training and progression because of age.
Sex discrimination
Includes unequal treatment in pay, promotion and opportunities, sexual harassment, and less favourable treatment linked to flexible working or caring responsibilities.
Where a specialist changes the outcome
Discrimination is rarely written down. Cases are built from patterns: who was promoted, who was put at risk of redundancy, how complaints were handled. A specialist knows how to use the tribunal's questions procedure and disclosure to surface evidence you cannot get on your own.
The legal framework is technical. Direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and failure to make adjustments each have different tests and different remedies. Pleading the right claims from the start materially affects the outcome.
Because awards are uncapped, employers take these claims seriously and often settle well when the case is properly prepared. A specialist's involvement changes how the other side values your claim.
Treated differently at work?
Describe what has been happening and we will match you with a discrimination specialist within 24 hours. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Discrimination FAQs
Do I need two years of service to claim discrimination?
No. There is no minimum length of service for discrimination claims. You can claim from day one, and even about the recruitment process itself.
Is discrimination compensation capped?
No. Discrimination awards are uncapped. They cover financial losses plus an injury to feelings award, and in serious cases can be substantial.
What is the time limit for a discrimination claim?
Normally 3 months less one day from the act of discrimination, or from the last act in a continuing pattern. Start ACAS early conciliation within that window.
What if the discrimination is subtle rather than open?
Most modern discrimination is subtle: being passed over, excluded or managed out. Tribunals can draw inferences from patterns of treatment, and a specialist knows how to evidence them.
Can I claim while still employed?
Yes. Many discrimination claims are brought by people still in their jobs, and the law protects you from being victimised for raising a complaint or bringing a claim.
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3 months less one day from the last act. Free enquiry, matched within 24 hours.