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
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.
Understand your position
"Without prejudice": what it really means for you
What the without prejudice label does and does not do in settlement discussions, when it applies, and how it differs from a protected conversation at work.
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What counts as unfair dismissal, who qualifies, the three-month time limit and what compensation the law allows, explained in plain English without the legalese.
Last reviewed August 2026What is constructive dismissal? Signs you were forced out
The legal test for constructive dismissal, the warning signs you are being forced out, and why taking advice before you resign changes your position materially.
Last reviewed August 2026The employment tribunal process, step by step
Every stage of an employment tribunal claim in plain English, from ACAS early conciliation and the ET1 through case management to the final hearing and judgment.
Last reviewed August 2026Can you be sacked without warning?
When instant dismissal is lawful and when it is not, what gross misconduct actually means, and the practical steps to take if you were sacked without warning.
Last reviewed August 2026Race discrimination at work: what to do
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Last reviewed August 2026Discrimination claims have short deadlines. Act now.
3 months less one day from the last act. Free enquiry, matched within 24 hours.