Under the Equality Act 2010, everyone in the UK is protected from discrimination at work if it’s linked to one of nine protected characteristics: age, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and disability.

But what about the way someone speaks - specifically, their accent?

Right now, the law doesn’t treat accent as its own protected characteristic. That means unless a person’s accent is connected to their race or ethnic background, it’s unlikely to be covered under current equality laws.

When Accent Discrimination IS Covered

There have been a few recent cases where comments about someone’s accent were found to be racial harassment, because the accent was linked to the person’s national or ethnic origin.

In Carozzi v University of Hertfordshire, a Brazilian employee said remarks about her “strong Brazilian accent” were harassment. The first tribunal didn’t agree but on appeal, it was decided those comments could count as harassment related to her ethnic origin, even if her colleagues didn’t mean them in a racist way.

In Machado v Swansea Audio, a Brazilian bartender was told not to use the microphone because “customers couldn’t understand her.” The tribunal ruled that this was unlawful racial harassment, since her accent was directly linked to her nationality.

These cases show how tricky this area can be. Even comments made about “communication issues” can cross the line if they relate to someone’s ethnicity or nationality.

When Accent Discrimination ISN’T Covered

Things are much less clear when it comes to regional UK accents. If someone’s treated differently because they have a Scouse, Geordie, Mancunian, or Brummie accent, there’s no current legal protection under the Equality Act.

In the Machado case, for example, if the bartender had had a Geordie accent instead of a Brazilian one, her claim probably wouldn’t have succeeded. That’s because regional or social origin isn’t covered by the law right now.

That said, it’s still important for employers to take accent bias seriously. Mocking or sidelining someone because of how they speak can easily damage team culture and in extreme cases, could even lead to constructive dismissal claims if someone feels pushed to resign.

There have been calls to add social class or socioeconomic background as a new protected characteristic, which could one day cover regional accents too. But for now, there’s a gap in the law.

What Businesses Should Keep in Mind

Be proactive about communication: If there are genuine communication challenges, look for solutions, like using written materials or visual guides rather than focusing on someone’s accent.

Handle things carefully: If a concern needs to be raised, make sure it’s done sensitively. Comments about how someone speaks can easily come across as personal or discriminatory, even if that’s not the intention.

Refresh training: Make sure Managers understand that accent can sometimes link to race or nationality and therefore carry legal risks.

In short: while the law doesn’t currently protect people from discrimination based purely on accent, that doesn’t mean it’s okay to joke about or judge someone because of how they speak. A little awareness goes a long way toward creating a fairer and more respectful workplace for everyone.