Outline the key features and evaluate how the Equality Act 2010 protects older people.

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Outline the key features and evaluate how the Equality Act 2010 protects older people. [10marks]

The Equality Act (2010) protects older people from direct and indirect discrimination that are based on a protected characteristic, such as; age, marital status, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion and etc. The Act simplifies current equality laws and puts them in one piece of legislation that includes all public bodies, which would make the law stronger in some places, such as England and Wales. The Act emphasis on promoting equality rather than reducing inequality in disadvantage groups, such as elderly people. The rights of an elderly person is protected in the Equality Act to ensure that they receive fair treatment when using a service. This means that it is illegal to directly discriminate an elderly service user or employee based on a protected characteristic. Further, making it illegal for an organisation to indirectly discriminate an elderly service user or employee by putting policies, rules or ways of doing things that would have a negative impact on them.

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However, the Equality Act has an exemption for age discrimination; it is still allowed as long as it has a legitimate aim. This means an employer or a service provider must justify the reason why they are discriminating on the basis of age. For example, an employer could have an upper age limit on jobs where very high levels of physical fitness are required. These professions can be construction work.

Nevertheless, the Equality Act protects older people from harassment and victimisation in services and public functions, such as; schools, colleges, universities, transports and work. Harassment is an unwanted conduct related ...

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