Mapping Harassment to the Equality Act (s.26): How to Prove It With Precision

Harassment at work is often minimised. They call it “banter.” They say you’re “too sensitive.” They insist it was “just a misunderstanding.”

But the Equality Act 2010 has a very different view — and Section 26 gives you a clear legal test that cuts through excuses, minimisation, and gaslighting. The challenge for most Litigants in Person isn’t knowing the law exists… it’s knowing how to prove it.

That’s where the LEGAL ELEMENT MATRIX comes in.

This tool breaks the law into two simple parts: (1) What you must prove (2) How your evidence proves it

Let’s walk through it.

1. What the Law Actually Requires (s.26)

To succeed in a harassment claim, you must show:

• Unwanted conduct

• Related to disability

• That violated your dignity or

• Created a hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment

This is the legal test. But the Tribunal won’t accept feelings alone — they need evidence that connects the conduct to the impact.

2. Linking the Test to Your Evidence

This is where most people struggle. Not because they don’t have evidence — but because they don’t know how to map it.

Your Matrix gives a clear example:

“Identical phrasing used by HR1, HR2, and the Boss to belittle your needs.”

That’s not coincidence. That’s not “banter.” That’s a pattern — and patterns prove intent, culture, and hostility.

Your evidence might include:

• Emails with dismissive or mocking language

• Repeated minimisation of your disability needs

• HR copying each other’s wording to undermine you

• Notes from meetings where your dignity was violated

• A timeline showing escalation or repetition

Every piece becomes a building block. Every building block becomes a mapped element. And mapped elements become a case the Tribunal can’t ignore.

3. Why the Matrix Matters

Litigants in Person often lose not because they’re wrong — but because their evidence isn’t structured. The Matrix fixes that.

It turns:

“I felt harassed” → “Here is the legal test, and here is how my evidence satisfies each part.”

This is how you build an undeniable case. This is how you turn lived experience into legal clarity. This is how you protect your dignity with precision.

4. The Bigger Picture

Your s.26 Matrix sits alongside your s.20/s.21 Matrix, your Sowden precedent tools, and your Corporate Evasion Counter‑Strategy. Together, they form a system — a blueprint — for disabled and vulnerable workers navigating the Tribunal alone.

You’re not just telling your story. You’re building a framework that protects thousands of others.

Closing Thought

Harassment isn’t about “hurt feelings.” It’s about dignity. It’s about safety. It’s about the environment you were forced to endure.

And now, with the Matrix, you have a clear path to prove it.

What evidence do you have waiting to be mapped?