Search results

Lesbians are protected from discrimination by law. The Sex Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to treat a person less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of her sexual orientation. There are some limited exemptions. Same-sex couples are also protected from discrimination under the definition of ‘marital or relationship status’ in the Act. Example: A company policy…

Discrimination in employment because of a person’s age or disability is against the law in many circumstances. However, it may not be unlawful to refuse to employ a person if, because of their age or disability, they are unable to carry out the inherent requirements – or essential duties – of the job. The inherent requirements of a job will vary depending on what the job is. They may include…

How a position is advertised is crucial to attracting the right sort of people for the job. A good advertisement will focus exclusively on the essential skills and abilities needed to do the job. Only refer to personal characteristics, such as age, sex, marital status or race, if they are part of the genuine requirements of the job. A discriminatory advertisement can limit the range of…

Job sharing is a flexible work arrangement where one job is done by more than one person. It can be an option if employees want to work part-time but the job that is available needs to be worked on a full-time basis. Example: One employee works part-time and does the job on Monday and Tuesday and another employee does the same job, also working part-time, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday…

Human rights are based on the principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect. Human rights recognise the inherent value of each person, regardless of their background, where they live, what they look like, what they think or what they believe. People’s human rights are respected when they are treated fairly and have the ability to make genuine choices in their daily lives. The operations…

Identified positions are positions where an employer may identify that a position is to be filled only by a person with a particular attribute. This might mean an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant, a person with a disability, a person of a particular sex or a person of a particular age. Identified positions help people who experience disadvantage to access equal opportunity in …

Indirect discrimination occurs when a seemingly neutral rule or policy disproportionately affects people with specific attributes (e.g. sex, disability). It’s unlawful if based on protected characteristics.

It is against the law to discriminate against a person because that person is or has been an immigrant. There are some limited exceptions. Discrimination on the basis of immigrant status occurs when a person is treated less favourably, or not given the same opportunities as others in a similar situation, because of their immigrant status. This does not mean that an employer has to employ…

People who are gay, lesbian or bisexual are protected from discrimination by law. The Sex Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to treat a person less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of their sexual orientation. There are some limited exemptions. Example: It may be discrimination for an employer not to promote an employee to a more senior role because he is gay…

Women experience inequality in many areas of their lives. At work, women face a gender ‘pay gap’ and barriers to leadership roles. Many encounter reduced employment opportunities because of the time they give to family and caring responsibilities. Sexual harassment and gender-based violence also threaten women’s basic right to feel safe and respected at work, in public, in places of study…

The Sex Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their gender identity. There are some limited exemptions. Gender identity discrimination happens when a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of that person’s gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of the…

Harassment can be against the law when a person is treated less favourably on the basis of certain personal characteristics, such as race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, breastfeeding, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. Some limited exemptions and exceptions apply. Harassment can include behaviour such as: telling insulting jokes about particular racial…

Learn about the purpose, roles, and responsibilities of a contact officer in the workplace.

Hearing impairments can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. The Act makes it against the law to discriminate against a person because of disability. There are some limited exceptions and exemptions. It is not unlawful to discriminate against an employee on the basis of their disability if the person cannot perform the inherent requirements of a job after reasonable adjustments…

It is against the law for employers to discriminate directly against a person because of their responsibilities to care for a family member. This includes caring for a spouse or de-facto partner, child, grandchild, brother, sister, parent or grandparent. There are some limited exemptions. Discrimination happens when a person is treated less favourably than another person in the same or…

A growing number of organisations recognise that flexible work arrangements are vital to the successful recruitment and retention of their employees. Flexible work arrangements can also help employers meet their obligation to avoid discrimination against employees with disabilities, older employees and employees with family responsibilities. Flexible work arrangements can include: changing…

Employers have a legal responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination. Find out more in this quick guide.

Employers often set rules regarding how their employees are expected to dress in the workplace. Employers should ensure that any dress code they propose does not amount to discrimination. Discrimination is against the law if a person is treated unfairly because of a protected characteristic, such as his or her race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status…

Explore the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guide to disability discrimination laws, covering protections, reasonable adjustments, and positive discrimination.