Electra HR

Equality at work · For employers

Equality that pays. Get it right once.

Discrimination compensation has no cap, and most claims start with a small decision nobody thought twice about. These guides show the fair way through, and where it saves you money.

Vanessa Challess, Solicitor, qualified 2003 · Law checked 31 October 2026

The short answer

Why should a small employer care about equality best practice?

Because the bill for getting it wrong is open-ended: compensation for discrimination has no statutory cap, and includes an award for injury to feelings (Equality Act 2010 ss.119 and 124).

Most of the fixes are cheap. Reasonable adjustments are often free or low cost, and employers recover 92 per cent of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay through payroll, or 109 per cent if they qualify for Small Employers’ Relief (from 6 April 2026). Check your own position with your payroll provider or accountant.

Law: Equality Act 2010, s.124; Equality Act 2010, s.119; GOV.UK: Get help with statutory pay

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Is it protected?

Mental health, menopause, neurodivergence, childcare, beliefs: what the Equality Act covers, what it doesn't, and the test that decides it.

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Guides for employers

Each guide has a twin in the hub for people at work, covering the same law from the other side of the desk.

  • Reclaim your family pay

    How much statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay comes back through payroll, and how small employers get more than they paid out.

    Being written

  • Pregnancy and maternity, done right

    Risk assessment, time off for antenatal care, the protected period and redundancy.

    Being written

  • Mental health: when it's a disability

    The legal test, adjustments and absence management that holds up.

    Being written

  • Neurodiversity at work

    What it is, how it shows up at work, reasonable adjustments, and when refusing one is justified.

    Being written

  • Reasonable adjustments: yes, no and why

    The duty, what "reasonable" means, the business case for saying no, and writing it down.

    Being written

  • Menopause at work

    The legal position, practical adjustments and menopause action plans.

    Being written

  • Flexible working requests

    The day-one right, the business reasons for refusal, and running a fair trial period.

    Being written

  • Equal pay and pay gaps

    Equal pay, gender pay gap reporting, and what is coming on ethnicity and disability.

    Being written

  • Recruiting fairly

    Job adverts, interviews and health questions before an offer.

    Being written

Free tools already live

Harassment risk assessment template

For the duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and the third-party harassment duty, from 30 October 2026.

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Pro-rata salary calculator

Part-time pay worked out properly, so part-timers are paid in proportion to full-timers.

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Guides explain the law; real situations have contracts, history and people in them. If you need help applying it, see Electra HR's fixed-fee services.