What is discrimination? Quiz.
Test your knowledge with our questionnaire!
- How many types of discrimination are there?
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- How many protected characteristics are there?
- Five
- Ten
- Fifteen
- Hundreds
- How many UK adults say they’ve experienced discrimination in the workplace?
- 15%
- 25%
- 45%
- 65%
- What’s the name of the Act that protects employees against discrimination at work?
- Equality Act 2010
- Discrimination Act
- DEI Protection Act
- Sister Act
- When must you bring a claim for discrimination to the Employment Tribunal?
- Within 3 months
- Within 6 months
- Within 9 months
- Within 12 months
- Can Paul Doran Law help you in case of discrimination?
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Can I see examples of real cases where Paul Doran Law have helped clients?
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
OK, so some of the possible responses above are not entirely serious.
Here’s the accurate information. Did you get all the answers right?
1. How many types of discrimination are there?
The correct answer is number 4. There are four main types of discrimination:
Direct discrimination is where you are treated differently because of a protected characteristic. Maybe you weren’t paid the same salary for performing the same job, or you missed out on training or other opportunities, or you were refused a job or promotion.
Indirect discrimination is where a workplace rule or practice leaves you at a disadvantage because you have a protected characteristic. Perhaps you were forced to come to work clean-shaven but that’s against your religious beliefs, for example. Or a job ad demands 12 years of experience which a younger applicant can’t have. Note that this kind of discrimination is allowed if the employer can justify it.
Victimisation is when you are treated unfairly because you made a formal discrimination complaint against your employer in the past, or you supported a colleague to do so.
Harassment is where you find the workplace offensive because your employer allows an intimidating, hostile, degrading or humiliating environment to thrive. If the harassment is so serious that it amounts to hate crime, that’s a criminal offence.
Discrimination can sometimes be legal when it can be justified for business reasons:
- To ensure health and safety of others
- To maintain staffing levels
- The employer didn’t know and could not reasonably have known you had the protected characteristic
- The employer took all reasonable steps to avoid the discriminatory act
- If their employee or agent was acting outside the scope of what they were told to do
2. How many protected characteristics are there?
The correct answer is number 2. There are ten protected characteristics, which are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender Reassignment
- Marriage and Civil Partnership
- Political Belief
- Pregnancy & Maternity
- Race (including Colour, Nationality and Ethic or National Origins)
- Religion or Belief
- Sex (Gender)
- Sexual Orientation
You can experience discrimination even if you don’t have a protected characteristic yourself.
Discrimination by association is when you are treated worse because you’re connected with another person who has a protected characteristic. For example, you apply for a job and in the interview you mention you have a disabled child. You have passed all the other tests but get turned down because the hiring manager assumed you’d need more time off work.
Discrimination by perception is when you’re treated badly because a person or organisation believes you have a protected characteristic when you don’t. For example, you’re teased about being gay when you’re not.
3. How many UK adults say they’ve experienced discrimination in the workplace?
The correct answer is number 3.
In 2025, HR and payroll software provider Ciphr commissioned a survey into the most prevalent forms of discrimination in the UK. They asked 4,000 adults about whether they have been affected by discrimination at work or when applying for jobs, and the types of discrimination that they faced. Here, we quote their findings…
45% of UK adults – that’s over two-fifths of respondents – say they have experienced some form of workplace discrimination.
The most common form of discrimination, cited by all respondents, is ageism. Nearly one in seven (15%) people reported feeling that their age was a factor for not getting some jobs they’ve applied for. And around one in 12 (8%) say they’ve experienced workplace discrimination based on their age.
Women are almost twice as likely as men to report feeling discriminated against because of their gender. On average, nearly one in seven (15%) women in the UK say they’ve experienced sexism in their working lives, compared to one in 12 (8.5%) men.
69% of people from ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) say they have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace (61%) or when applying for a new job (65%) or both. And over one in four (29%) feel that their race or ethnicity has been a factor in not getting some jobs they’ve applied for.
Nearly three quarters (73%) of surveyed non-binary people have faced some form of discrimination at work or when job-hunting.
Over half (59%) of people aged 18-34 say that they’ve been subject to hiring discrimination of some kind. This age group is also among the most likely to say they have experienced discrimination at work (57% vs 31% of people aged 35 years and older).
People living in the London region are more likely to say they have been discriminated against either at work or when applying for work (or both) than those living in any other part of the UK (57% vs the survey average of 45%).
People working in hospitality are among the most likely to say they’ve experienced workplace discrimination of some kind (75% vs the survey average of 45%).
And one in seven (14%) UK adults with parental and/or caring responsibilities feel they have faced discrimination during the recruitment process (ie not got a job) because of their family status (having a child or children and/or providing care for a disabled, older or ill relative or friend).
It’s disturbing that workplace discrimination is still so common despite the legislation.
4. What’s the name of the Act that protects employees against discrimination at work?
The correct answer is number 1.
The Act that protects employees against discrimination at work is the Equality Act 2010.
5. When must you bring a claim for discrimination to the Employment Tribunal?
The correct answer is number 1.
You must bring a claim for discrimination to the Employment Tribunal within 3 months of the date on which the most recent instance of discrimination occurred.
This means you should act quickly to get legal advice as soon as possible.
6. Can Paul Doran Law help you in case of discrimination?
Yes! All the answers are correct.
7. Can I see examples of real cases where we’ve helped clients?
Yes! All the answers are correct.
- Yes: Constructive dismissal
- Yes: Discrimination
- Yes: Effective dismissal
- Yes: Wrongful dismissal
What this means to you
Your employer should have clear policies in place about discrimination and complaint procedures, and share them in new employee onboarding, as well as training at all levels across the company. Employees should be kept informed about any updates.
They should also have fair processes in place to investigate discrimination claims, and ensure that the matter is handled with sensitivity and without bias.
If you’ve been discriminated against, give us a call.
We are employment lawyers who act for employees (not employers), and deal with discrimination claims all the time. The first call is free and we’ll be happy to help.
Related reading: What is discrimination? Quiz
We’ve written articles about discrimination before. Here are just a few:
- I have suffered race discrimination
- Can I bring a claim for political discrimination?
- Discrimination against the LGBT community
- How much money can I get for disability discrimination?
- Can a man bring a sex discrimination claim?
- Age discrimination: Success and failure
- Discrimination law
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