What are prohibited grounds?

Asked by: Fletcher Deckow  |  Last update: March 14, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (41 votes)

Prohibited grounds are personal characteristics like race, religion, sex, disability, age, and national origin that, by law, cannot be used to discriminate against someone in areas like employment, housing, or services, protecting individuals from unfair treatment based on these inherent or acquired traits, though specific lists vary slightly by jurisdiction. These grounds ensure equal opportunity by making decisions based on merit, not prejudice.

What are the prohibited grounds?

These grounds include primarily the grounds of colour, ethnic origin, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship and creed (religion). Depending on the circumstances, a human rights complaint of discrimination based on race may cite race alone or may include one or more related ground(s).

What are the 9 grounds for discrimination?

The foundation for equality in the workplace is the Employment Equality Act 1998, which promotes equality and prohibits discrimination across the nine grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and member- ship of the Traveller community.

What are the 4 types of prohibited conduct?

There are four “main” types of prohibited conduct which include: Direct Discrimination, Indirect Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation.

What are some examples of prohibited conduct?

  • Prohibited Conduct: Brief Definitions. Policy Prohibiting Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct and Retaliation.
  • Gender-Based Discrimination or Harassment. ...
  • Sexual Harassment. ...
  • Sexual Assault. ...
  • Dating and Domestic Violence. ...
  • Sexual Exploitation. ...
  • Stalking. ...
  • Retaliation.

Direct discrimination and prohibited grounds

15 related questions found

What is an example of prohibited?

Prohibited examples are things forbidden by rule, law, or authority, such as smoking in public buildings, texting while driving, carrying weapons, using certain substances, or sharing trade secrets, often indicated by signs like "No Bicycles" or "No Food". They range from everyday restrictions (no running in hallways) to serious legal prohibitions (prohibited drugs) and cover actions, items, and content.
 

What are 5 examples of serious misconduct?

Here are 7 examples classed as workplace misconduct

  • Theft. This may sound obvious, but theft isn't limited to financial fraud like embezzlement or money laundering. ...
  • Sexual harassment. ...
  • Abuse of power. ...
  • Falsifying documentation. ...
  • Health and safety breaches. ...
  • Damage to goods or property. ...
  • Drug and/or alcohol use.

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 are examples of prohibited actions?

Such actions include, but are not limited to: inflicting verbal, mental, or physical harm upon any person; engaging in any intentional or reckless action from which verbal, mental, or physical harm could result; and causing a person to believe that the offender may cause verbal, mental, or physical harm.

What are 5 examples of unfair discrimination?

Five examples of unfair discrimination include being passed over for promotion due to race or gender (racial/gender bias), paying women less for the same job as men (unequal pay), denying reasonable accommodations for a disability (disability discrimination), harassing someone for their sexual orientation (sexual orientation discrimination), or retaliating against an employee for reporting harassment (retaliation). These actions unfairly disadvantage individuals based on protected traits rather than merit, violating laws like Title VII. 

What are the grounds that someone can be discriminated against?

The Commission has developed policies that outline in more detail how the Code applies to grounds such as family status, age (older persons), sexual orientation, race, disability, gender identify, sex (harassment, and also pregnancy and breastfeeding) and language (may be connected to ethnic origin, place of origin, ...

What evidence do you need for a discrimination case?

Direct evidence.

Direct evidence often involves a statement from a decision-maker that expresses a discriminatory motive. Direct evidence can also include express or admitted classifications, in which a recipient explicitly distributes benefits or burdens based on race, color, or national origin.

What are the 5 fair reasons for dismissal under the employment Rights Act?

There are five potentially fair reasons for dismissal under the ERA: capability or qualifications, conduct, redundancy, breach of a statutory duty or restriction and “some other substantial reason” (SOSR).

What is a prohibited action?

A prohibited personnel action refers to specific actions taken by federal employees that violate established laws regarding fair treatment in the workplace. These actions are illegal and can include discrimination, retaliation against whistleblowers, and other unfair employment practices.

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 is the 3 part test for discrimination?

To prove discrimination, a complainant has to prove that: they have a characteristic protected by the Human Rights Code [Code]; they experienced an adverse impact with respect to an area protected by the Code; and. the protected characteristic was a factor in the adverse impact.

What are the four types of prohibited conduct?

EqA 2010 divides the types of prohibited conduct into the following categories:

  • • discrimination, which includes: ◦ direct discrimination. ◦ indirect discrimination. ◦ discrimination arising from disability. ◦ ...
  • • other prohibited conduct, which includes: ◦ harassment. ◦ victimisation.

What are examples of unacceptable behavior?

threats, verbal abuse, shouting, obscene / derogatory remarks and rudeness. racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, disablist comments, or other harassment based on personal characteristics.

What are examples of prohibited?

Prohibited examples are things forbidden by rule, law, or authority, such as smoking in public buildings, texting while driving, carrying weapons, using certain substances, or sharing trade secrets, often indicated by signs like "No Bicycles" or "No Food". They range from everyday restrictions (no running in hallways) to serious legal prohibitions (prohibited drugs) and cover actions, items, and content.
 

What are the 9 grounds of harassment?

Harassment that is based on the following grounds— marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age disability, race, or Traveller community ground— is a form of discrimination in relation to conditions of employment. What is sexual harassment? S23 EE Act.

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 kind of proof do you need for harassment?

To prove harassment, you need a combination of your detailed personal testimony (dates, times, details) and corroborating evidence like emails, texts, photos, videos, or witness statements describing the unwelcome conduct, especially when it's severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile environment, impacting your work or safety, with saved records of your reports to management/HR being crucial. Medical records documenting harm and documentation of any official complaints and the employer's response also significantly strengthen your case. 

What are HR trigger words?

HR trigger words are terms that alert Human Resources to potential policy violations, serious workplace issues like harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, or a hostile work environment, and significant risks like lawsuits, high turnover, or burnout, prompting investigation or intervention, while other buzzwords like "quiet quitting" signal cultural trends. Using them signals a serious concern requiring HR's immediate attention for compliance and employee safety, though overly negative or absolute language can also be flagged. 

What is inappropriate misconduct?

Inappropriate Conduct means a comment, conduct or gesture directed toward an individual or group of individuals which is reasonably considered to be insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading or offensive.

What is the biggest red flag at work?

The biggest red flags at work often signal a toxic culture and poor leadership, with high turnover, communication breakdowns, lack of trust, blame culture, and unrealistic expectations being major indicators that employees are undervalued, leading to burnout and instability. These issues create an environment where people feel unappreciated, micromanaged, or unsupported, making it difficult to thrive and often prompting good employees to leave.