Discrimination and Harassment: Your Rights as a Chair Renter

"You're self-employed, so you've got no rights." You might have heard this from a salon owner, another renter, or even a well-meaning friend. It is wrong.

The Equality Act 2010 protects you from discrimination regardless of your employment status. Whether you are an employee, a worker, or a self-employed chair renter, you have legal protection against discrimination and harassment.

This guide explains what those protections are, how they work in practice, and what to do if you experience discrimination or harassment in the salon or from clients.

Quick Rule of Thumb

The Equality Act 2010 protects everyone - employees, workers, and self-employed people. If someone treats you worse because of who you are (your race, sex, pregnancy, disability, sexuality, religion, age, gender reassignment, or marital status), that is potentially unlawful, even if you are self-employed.

Tip for new starters: If a salon owner ever tells you "you're self-employed, so you've got no rights," that is wrong. The Equality Act protects you regardless of your employment status. Know this from day one.

The Protected Characteristics

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against someone because of:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Marriage and civil partnership
5. Pregnancy and maternity
6. Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins)
7. Religion or belief (including lack of religion or belief)
8. Sex
9. Sexual orientation

These are called "protected characteristics." If you are treated worse because of any of these, you may have a legal claim.

How the Equality Act Protects You as a Self-Employed Person

The Equality Act works differently depending on the relationship. As a chair renter, you are protected through multiple routes:

Route 1: As a Worker (Section 83)

The Equality Act defines "employment" broadly - it includes anyone who works under a contract personally to do work. If you are personally providing services (which you are - you cannot just send anyone in your place), you may be protected as a worker under the Act, even if you are self-employed for tax purposes.

This protects you from discrimination by:

• The salon owner
• Anyone acting on behalf of the salon

Route 2: As Someone Receiving a Service (Part 3)

If the salon is providing you with a service (renting you space, providing facilities), you are protected as a service user under Part 3 of the Equality Act. Service providers must not discriminate against the people they provide services to.

Route 3: Against Clients (Part 3, reversed)

When you provide beauty services to clients, YOU are the service provider. But you are also protected from harassment by third parties under certain circumstances. And you have the right to refuse service to anyone whose behaviour is unacceptable.

Types of Discrimination

Direct Discrimination

Treating someone worse because of a protected characteristic.

Examples in beauty:

• A salon owner refuses to rent a chair to you because of your race
• A salon owner charges you more rent than other renters because you are pregnant
• A salon owner asks you to leave because you are in a same-sex relationship
• Clients are directed away from you because of your ethnicity

Indirect Discrimination

A rule or policy that applies to everyone but disproportionately disadvantages people with a particular protected characteristic, and cannot be justified.

Examples in beauty:

• A salon rule that all renters must work Saturdays - this could indirectly discriminate against someone whose religion requires Saturday observance
• A dress code banning head coverings - this could indirectly discriminate on religious grounds
• A requirement to work full-time hours that disproportionately affects women with childcare responsibilities

Harassment

Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating someone's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.

Examples in beauty:

• A salon owner making sexual comments about your appearance
• Other renters making racist jokes
• Clients making unwanted sexual advances
• Comments about your body, weight, or appearance related to a protected characteristic

Victimisation

Treating someone badly because they have made or supported a discrimination complaint.

Example: You complain about racist comments from another renter. The salon owner then increases your rent or asks you to leave. That is victimisation.

Sexual Harassment from Clients

This is a significant issue in the beauty industry. You work in close physical proximity to clients. Some clients cross the line.

What counts as sexual harassment from a client?

• Unwanted touching or physical contact
• Sexual comments or innuendo
• Requests for sexual services
• Comments about your body
• Showing you sexual images
• Persistent requests for dates after you have said no

Your rights:

1. You can refuse service. You are not obliged to continue treating a client who is harassing you. Ask them to stop. If they do not, end the appointment.
2. If you are a worker or employee, the salon has a duty under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment from third parties (including clients).
3. If you are genuinely self-employed, the salon's duty to you is less clear, but:
   • If the salon knows a client has harassed you and continues to allow that client into the salon, they may be failing in their duty as a service provider
   • You can report the client to the police if their behaviour is criminal (sexual assault, indecent exposure, stalking)
   • You can refuse to see that client again

What to do:

• Document what happened. Write it down as soon as possible after the incident. Include date, time, what was said or done, any witnesses.
• Tell the salon owner. Even if you are self-employed, the salon owner should know. If they do nothing, that itself could be relevant.
• Report to the police if the behaviour was criminal.
• Contact ACAS or a solicitor if you want to explore a legal claim.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy discrimination is one of the most common issues affecting beauty workers. Here are some real scenarios:

"I was asked to leave the salon because I'm pregnant"

If the salon owner terminates your chair rental agreement because you are pregnant, this could be:

• Direct discrimination because of pregnancy and maternity (Equality Act 2010, Section 18)
• A breach of Part 3 (services) if the salon is providing you with a service

Your options:

1. Put everything in writing. Ask the salon owner to confirm in writing why your agreement is being terminated.
2. Contact ACAS for advice. Call 0300 123 1100.
3. Consider a claim. You may be able to bring a claim for discrimination. Time limit: 3 months minus one day from the act of discrimination.

"I was told I can't work past a certain number of weeks"

If you are self-employed, nobody can tell you when to stop working. That is your decision, made with your GP or midwife. If the salon owner insists you stop at, say, 30 weeks, that could be pregnancy discrimination unless there is a genuine health and safety reason that cannot be resolved any other way.

"My rent was increased when I told them I'm pregnant"

This is likely direct pregnancy discrimination. Document the timing (rent increase after pregnancy disclosure) and seek advice.

"I was told I can't come back after maternity leave"

If your chair rental agreement was ongoing and the salon refuses to let you return after having your baby, this could be pregnancy/maternity discrimination. The fact that you are self-employed does not remove this protection.

Race Discrimination

"Clients request not to be seen by me because of my race"

This is direct race discrimination by the client. The question is whether the salon facilitates it. If the salon actively directs clients away from you based on race, the salon is also discriminating against you.

What to do:

• Tell the salon owner you will not accept race-based client preferences
• If the salon accommodates racist client requests, document it and seek advice
• You can refuse to serve clients who are racially abusive to you

"I'm treated differently from other renters because of my race"

Document the differences. Are you charged more? Given a worse station? Excluded from decisions? Spoken to differently? Patterns matter - keep a record.

How to Document Incidents

Good records are essential if you ever need to make a claim. For each incident, write down:

1. Date and time
2. Where it happened
3. Who was involved (names)
4. What was said or done (exact words if you can remember)
5. Who witnessed it
6. How it made you feel
7. What you did in response
8. Any messages, emails, or texts related to the incident (screenshot and save)

Keep this record somewhere private and secure - not on a salon computer or shared device.

How to Report and Make a Claim

Step 1: Contact ACAS

Call 0300 123 1100. ACAS provides free, confidential advice. If you decide to make a claim, ACAS early conciliation is mandatory before you can go to an employment tribunal.

Step 2: Decide Your Route

Employment Tribunal (worker route): If your claim is that the salon discriminated against you in a work context (and you can establish worker status), you bring the claim to an employment tribunal. Time limit: 3 months minus one day from the act of discrimination. You must go through ACAS early conciliation first.

County Court (service provider route): If the discrimination relates to the provision of a service (e.g., the salon refusing to rent you a chair because of a protected characteristic), you can bring a claim in the county court under Part 3 of the Equality Act. Time limit: 6 months from the act of discrimination.

Police: If the behaviour is criminal (assault, threats, stalking, hate crime), report it to the police. Call 101 for non-emergency reports or 999 if you are in immediate danger.

Step 3: Get Legal Help

• Citizens Advice - free initial advice
• Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) - 0808 800 0082 - specialist equality advice
• Trade union - if you are a member, they may provide legal representation
• Solicitor - many employment solicitors offer a free initial consultation. Some take discrimination cases on a no-win-no-fee basis.

Compensation

If your discrimination claim succeeds, you may be awarded:

• Injury to feelings - typically £1,200 to £60,700 depending on severity (Vento bands, updated April 2025)
  • Lower band (less serious cases): £1,200 to £12,100
  • Middle band (serious cases): £12,100 to £36,400
  • Upper band (most serious cases): £36,400 to £60,700
• Financial losses - lost earnings, lost business, costs of finding a new salon
• Aggravated damages - if the discriminator's conduct was particularly egregious
• Recommendations - the tribunal can require the salon to take specific steps (e.g., implement an equality policy)

There is no cap on discrimination compensation, unlike unfair dismissal claims.

What To Do Next

1. Know your rights. You are protected from discrimination regardless of your employment status.
2. Document everything. If something happens, write it down immediately.
3. Act quickly. Time limits are strict - 3 months minus one day for employment tribunal claims, 6 months for county court claims.
4. Contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 for free, confidential advice.
5. Do not suffer in silence. Discrimination is unlawful and you have legal options.

Tip for new starters: Start a private notes file on your phone from your first week. If anything happens that makes you uncomfortable, write it down immediately with the date, time, and who was involved. You may never need it, but if you do, contemporaneous notes are powerful evidence.

Who To Contact

• ACAS - 0300 123 1100 (Free) - employment rights advice - acas.org.uk
• Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) - 0808 800 0082 (Free) - equalityadvisoryservice.com
• Citizens Advice - 0800 144 8848 (Free) - citizensadvice.org.uk
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247 (Free, 24/7)
• Police - 101 (non-emergency) or 999 (emergency) (Free)
• EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) - equalityhumanrights.com (Free)
• Maternity Action - maternityaction.org.uk (Free) - pregnancy discrimination specialists

Sources

• Equality Act 2010
• Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023
• Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2002] (injury to feelings bands)
• ACAS guidance on discrimination
• EHRC Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations
• EHRC Code of Practice on Employment

Related Guides

• Worker Status: What Rights Do You Have?
• Maternity Allowance for Self-Employed Beauty Workers
• Misclassification: What To Do If You're Not Really Self-Employed
• Handling Client Complaints Professionally
• Employment Rights Act 2025: What It Means for Beauty Workers

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