Equality and Diversity Training Online - CPD Certified

Equality and diversity training helps employees understand the principles of equal treatment, the legal protections provided by the Equality Act 2010, and how to contribute to a fair, respectful, and inclusive workplace. It covers the nine protected characteristics, the different forms of discrimination, and the practical responsibilities that apply to both employers and employees. This is awareness-level training — it gives all staff the knowledge they need to treat people fairly and recognise when something is not right.

There is no single law that mandates equality training by name, but the Equality Act 2010 places a legal duty on employers to prevent discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace. If an employee brings a claim, the employer’s ability to show that it took reasonable steps to prevent the behaviour — including providing appropriate training — is a recognised statutory defence. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) also recommends training as part of an employer’s duty to promote equality. In practice, not providing equality and diversity training leaves an organisation significantly more exposed to legal liability.

The Equality Act 2010 identifies nine characteristics that are protected from discrimination: (1) Age, (2) Disability, (3) Gender reassignment, (4) Marriage and civil partnership, (5) Pregnancy and maternity, (6) Race, (7) Religion or belief, (8) Sex, and (9) Sexual orientation. It is unlawful to treat someone less favourably because of any of these characteristics. This course explains each one clearly and how they apply in everyday workplace situations.

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably specifically because of a protected characteristic — for example, not hiring someone because of their age or ethnicity. Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy, practice, or rule applies to everyone equally but puts people with a particular protected characteristic at a disadvantage — for example, a dress code that disproportionately affects a particular religious group. Both forms are unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, and this course covers both with practical workplace examples.

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic assumptions and associations people make about others based on characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability, or appearance — without being aware they are doing so. These biases are shaped by personal experiences, upbringing, media, and cultural norms. In the workplace, unconscious bias can influence hiring decisions, promotions, task allocation, and everyday interactions. Recognising and understanding unconscious bias is an important step in creating a fairer, more inclusive working environment, and this course explains how it works and what employees can do about it.

Employers have a legal duty to prevent unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace. This includes taking reasonable steps to ensure that employees understand their obligations, that policies and practices are fair and non-discriminatory, and that appropriate action is taken when issues arise. Employers can also be held vicariously liable for the discriminatory acts of their employees if they cannot demonstrate that they took all reasonable steps to prevent the behaviour. Providing regular equality and diversity training is one of the most widely recognised reasonable steps an employer can take.

Yes. This course is accredited by the CPD Certification Service, confirming that the content has been independently reviewed and meets recognised standards for structured professional development. A CPD-accredited certificate provides credible, documented evidence of training that can be presented to employers, auditors, clients, and regulators.

Yes. The course is delivered entirely online. There are no scheduled sessions, classroom attendance, or booking required — you can start immediately after purchase and complete the training at a time and pace that suits you. You can pause at any point and pick up where you left off, making it easy to fit around a busy working day.

The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. There are no time restrictions, so you can work through it at your own speed. This makes it practical for staff induction, annual refresher training, or rolling out equality awareness across an entire team or organisation quickly.

Yes. Upon successfully passing the final assessment, you will receive an instant digital Equality and Diversity Awareness Certificate confirming CPD accreditation. The certificate can be downloaded, printed, or stored electronically as part of your training records. There is no need to wait for anything in the post — your certificate is available immediately after you pass.

The certificate does not carry a fixed expiry date. However, regular refresher training is widely considered best practice to ensure staff knowledge remains current, particularly as legislation, case law, and workplace expectations continue to evolve. Annual or biennial refresher training is the standard most employers and regulatory bodies expect. Given the low cost and short duration of this course, refresher training is a simple and effective way to maintain awareness and demonstrate that your organisation takes equality seriously.