http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/49Equality Act 2010An Act to make provision to require Ministers of the Crown and others when making strategic decisions about the exercise of their functions to have regard to the desirability of reducing socio-economic inequalities; to reform and harmonise equality law and restate the greater part of the enactments relating to discrimination and harassment related to certain personal characteristics; to enable certain employers to be required to publish information about the differences in pay between male and female employees; to prohibit victimisation in certain circumstances; to require the exercise of certain functions to be with regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other prohibited conduct; to enable duties to be imposed in relation to the exercise of public procurement functions; to increase equality of opportunity; to amend the law relating to rights and responsibilities in family relationships; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-04-07Expert Participation2026-04-07 Equality Act 2010s. 40(1A)-(1C)Employment Rights Act 2025s. 21s. 159(3)Equality Act 2010s. 40BEmployment Rights Act 2025s. 22(2)s. 159(3)Equality Act 2010s. 208(5)(aa)Employment Rights Act 2025s. 22(3)s. 159(3)Equality Act 2010s. 78(3A)(3B)Employment Rights Act 2025s. 34(2)s. 159(3)Equality Act 2010s. 153(1A)(1B)Employment Rights Act 2025s. 34(3)s. 159(3)Equality Act 2010s. 154(3A)(3B)Employment Rights Act 2025s. 34(4)s. 159(3) Part 5Chapter 1491This section applies in relation to personal offices.2A personal office is an office or post—ato which a person is appointed to discharge a function personally under the direction of another person, andbin respect of which an appointed person is entitled to remuneration.3A person (A) who has the power to make an appointment to a personal office must not discriminate against a person (B)—ain the arrangements A makes for deciding to whom to offer the appointment;bas to the terms on which A offers B the appointment;cby not offering B the appointment.4A person who has the power to make an appointment to a personal office must not, in relation to the office, harass a person seeking, or being considered for, the appointment.5A person (A) who has the power to make an appointment to a personal office must not victimise a person (B)—ain the arrangements A makes for deciding to whom to offer the appointment;bas to the terms on which A offers B the appointment;cby not offering B the appointment.6A person (A) who is a relevant person in relation to a personal office must not discriminate against a person (B) appointed to the office—aas to the terms of B's appointment;bin the way A affords B access, or by not affording B access, to opportunities for promotion, transfer or training or for receiving any other benefit, facility or service;cby terminating B's appointment;dby subjecting B to any other detriment.7A relevant person in relation to a personal office must not, in relation to that office, harass a person appointed to it.8A person (A) who is a relevant person in relation to a personal office must not victimise a person (B) appointed to the office—aas to the terms of B's appointment;bin the way A affords B access, or by not affording B access, to opportunities for promotion, transfer or training or for receiving any other benefit, facility or service;cby terminating B's appointment;dby subjecting B to any other detriment.9A duty to make reasonable adjustments applies to—aa person who has the power to make an appointment to a personal office;ba relevant person in relation to a personal office.10For the purposes of subsection (2)(a), a person is to be regarded as discharging functions personally under the direction of another person if that other person is entitled to direct the person as to when and where to discharge the functions.11For the purposes of subsection (2)(b), a person is not to be regarded as entitled to remuneration merely because the person is entitled to payments—ain respect of expenses incurred by the person in discharging the functions of the office or post, orbby way of compensation for the loss of income or benefits the person would or might have received had the person not been discharging the functions of the office or post.12Subsection (3)(b), so far as relating to sex or pregnancy and maternity, does not apply to a term that relates to pay—aunless, were B to accept the offer, an equality clause or rule would have effect in relation to the term, orbif paragraph (a) does not apply, except in so far as making an offer on terms including that term amounts to a contravention of subsection (3)(b) by virtue of section 13, 14 or 18.Pt. 5 applied (1.8.2011) by the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1771), regs. 3-5Pt. 5 excluded (coming into force in accordance with reg. 2(1) of the commencing S.I.) by Wales Act 2017 (c. 4), s. 71(4), Sch. 5 para. 5(4) (with Sch. 7 paras. 1, 6); S.I. 2017/351, reg. 2(2) [Editorial note: S.I. 2017/1282 was made under 2017 c. 4, Sch. 5 para. 7(1) and comes into force on 12.12.2017]Pt. 5 restricted (S.) (29.5.2020) by Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 (asp 4), ss. 11(2), 13; S.S.I. 2020/119, reg. 2Pt. 5 excluded by 2005 c. 4, s. 27(5A)(b) (as inserted (15.7.2013) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 13 para. 9; S.I. 2013/1725, art. 2(g))Pt. 5 excluded by 2005 c. 4, s. 63(4) (as inserted (15.7.2013) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 13 para. 10(3); S.I. 2013/1725, art. 2(g))