From 1 October 2010 the Equality Act replaced all previous discrimination legislation. It affects not only employers and workers but also service providers to the public and clubs, associations and societies.
Partners in firms also have similar rights not to suffer discrimination on grounds of the nine protected characteristics including age, disability and pregnancy/maternity. It is therefore even more important for partners to have partnership agreements in place so that firms can minimize the risk of having to justify policies which may be potentially discriminatory, particularly as there are at present a number of uncertainties with the new legislation.