What are the 9 grounds of harassment?

Asked by: Prof. Timmy O'Keefe  |  Last update: July 11, 2026
Score: 4.7/5 (49 votes)

Under the UK Equality Act 2010, harassment is defined as unwanted conduct related to one of nine protected characteristics, which violates dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. The nine grounds are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

What are the 9 protected categories of harassment?

This law provides protection from harassment or discrimination in employment because of: age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed, denial of family and medical care leave, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, marital status, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), national ...

What kind of proof do you need for harassment?

To prove harassment, you need detailed records of incidents (dates, times, actions, witnesses), written communications (texts, emails), witness testimonies, and potentially physical evidence (photos, medical records), showing the conduct was unwelcome, severe/pervasive, and often based on a protected characteristic (race, sex, etc.) to create a hostile environment or as a condition of employment. Strong evidence includes recordings, documented reports to HR, and proof of adverse actions after reporting.

What are title 9 examples?

Examples of the types of discrimination that are covered under Title IX include but are not limited to: sex-based harassment; sexual violence; pregnancy discrimination; the failure to provide equal athletic opportunity; sex-based discrimination in a school's science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and ...

What are the 9 main protected characteristics?

The 9 protected characteristics under the UK's Equality Act 2010, safeguarding against discrimination, are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation; these characteristics ensure equal treatment in areas like employment, education, and services, covering discrimination, harassment, and victimization.
 

Workplace Harassment Explained by Lawyer

31 related questions found

What are the 9 grounds for discrimination?

Equal Status

  • 'the gender ground'
  • 'the civil status ground' (formerly marital status)
  • 'the family status ground'
  • 'the sexual orientation ground'
  • 'the religion ground'
  • 'the age ground'
  • 'the disability ground'
  • 'the ground of race' (includes 'race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origins')

What are the 10 legally protected characteristics?

The protected classes include: age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or any other bases under the law.

What qualifies as harassment?

Harassment is unwanted behavior that offends, humiliates, or intimidates someone, creating a hostile environment, and can range from persistent annoying actions like offensive jokes and insults to serious threats or physical assault, often targeting protected characteristics like race, sex, religion, or disability, though it can also be about appearance or beliefs. It can be verbal, non-verbal, or physical, often involving repeated incidents but sometimes serious one-offs, and can happen in person or online.

What are three behaviors that are prohibited under the Title IX?

Examples of sexual discrimination prohibited under Title IX include, but are not limited to, Title IX Sexual Harassment, failure to provide equal opportunity in education programs and extracurricular programs, discrimination based on pregnancy and sex-based employment discrimination.

How can I prove that someone is harassing me?

Types of Evidence Used in Harassment Cases

  1. Witness Testimony. This is a direct account of someone who experienced, heard, and saw the alleged behaviors firsthand. ...
  2. Audio or Video Recordings. ...
  3. Photographs. ...
  4. Emails, Text Messages, Social Media. ...
  5. Medical Records or Reports.

How much evidence is needed for harassment?

"Course of conduct" The following principles may assist when considering whether there is sufficient evidence of a course of conduct: The concept of harassment or stalking is linked to the course of conduct which amounts to it. The course of conduct must comprise two or more occasions: section 7(3) PHA 1997.

What are the 5 ds of harassment?

The 5Ds are different methods – Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct – that you can use to support someone who's being harassed, emphasize that harassment is not okay, and demonstrate to people in your life that they have the power to make their community safer.

What harassment does Title 9 not protect against?

Conclusion: Key Points on Title IX Exclusions

While it offers comprehensive protection against gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation, it does not address other forms of harassment and discrimination like race, disability, or age.

What are the signs of harassment?

Signs You May Have Experienced Workplace Harassment

  • Feelings of discomfort. Sexual harassment can be subjective and might be measured in feelings of discomfort. ...
  • Unwelcome physical contact. ...
  • Differential treatment. ...
  • “No” not accepted. ...
  • Requests for sexual favors. ...
  • Bullying. ...
  • Sexual jokes or displays of sexual images. ...
  • Several victims.

What damages can I recover in a harassment case?

Non-economic damages that may be recovered in a California workplace harassment case include emotional distress, inconvenience, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Punitive damages are intended to punish the employer rather than compensate the victim and deter similar conduct in the future.

What behaviors are not considered harassment?

Behaviours that are not considered harassment are those that arise from a relationship of mutual consent. A hug between friends, mutual flirtation, and a compliment on physical appearance between colleagues are not considered harassment.

What is the Title 1x rule?

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

What is not covered by harassment laws?

Standing alone, personality conflicts, disagreements, or incompatibility are not covered by the federal EEO laws, unless the harassing conduct is based on at least one of the protected characteristics listed in response to question #1.

How does one prove harassment?

To prove harassment, you need to document everything (dates, times, details), gather evidence (texts, emails, recordings, photos), find witnesses, and formally report it to establish a pattern of severe or pervasive, unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic that affects your work or creates a hostile environment, often requiring help from an employment lawyer to meet legal standards like those set by the EEOC. 

What qualifies as harassment in Canada?

Harassment is when someone says or does something that offends or humiliates another person. Usually, the harasser must say or do these offensive things many times, but a serious one-time incident, may also be harassment. 2 Harassment can be direct or indirect, obvious or subtle, physical or psychological.

What things count as harassment?

Harassment is unwanted behavior that offends, humiliates, or intimidates someone, creating a hostile environment, and can range from persistent annoying actions like offensive jokes and insults to serious threats or physical assault, often targeting protected characteristics like race, sex, religion, or disability, though it can also be about appearance or beliefs. It can be verbal, non-verbal, or physical, often involving repeated incidents but sometimes serious one-offs, and can happen in person or online.

What are the 14 types of discrimination?

The 14 prohibited grounds for discrimination or harassment

  • Race. ...
  • It's the color of your skin.
  • It is for example the fact of being a woman or a man. ...
  • Gender identity or gender expression. ...
  • It's the fact of being pregnant and having a baby. ...
  • It is the emotional or sexual attraction to someone. ...
  • It's your family status.

What three federal laws protect harassment in the workplace?

Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA).

What are the 7 main protected characteristics?

Protected characteristics

  • Age.
  • Disability.
  • Gender reassignment.
  • Marriage and civil partnership.
  • Pregnancy and maternity.
  • Race.
  • Religion or belief.
  • Sex.