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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…

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…

Understanding Direct Discrimination. Learn about unlawful treatment based on protected characteristics.

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

It is common for relationships and attractions to develop in the workplace. As an employer, it is important to ensure that these circumstances do not lead to incidents of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It…

If a complaint of discrimination or harassment is made to the Australian Human Rights Commission, the complaint may be resolved through a process known as ‘conciliation’. Conciliation is an informal, flexible approach to resolving complaints. The Commission tries to help everyone involved in the complaint to understand the issues and find a solution that is acceptable to everyone. We do not…

Obtain information and practical guidance on how to prevent criminal record discrimination in the workplace.

A complaint of discrimination or harassment can be made to the Australian Human Rights Commission about an issue covered by federal anti-discrimination law. Under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act, the Commission can also investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying in employment based on a person’s criminal record, trade union activity, political…

Establishing a process to resolve complaints of discrimination and harassment can improve staff satisfaction and help avoid complaints to external agencies or other legal action. Under federal anti-discrimination laws, if an organisation argues that the organisation should not be held liable for any discrimination or harassment by one of its employees, the organisation will need to…

It is against the law to discriminate against women who are breastfeeding. This includes women who need to express milk by hand or using a pump. There are some limited exemptions. Discrimination happens when a woman is treated less favourably because she is breastfeeding or needs to breastfeed over a period of time. It is also discrimination when there is an unreasonable requirement or…

Learn about workplace bullying, legal protections, and employer liability under anti-discrimination laws and the Fair Work Act.

Caring responsibilities can include caring for young children, for children or adults with disabilities, mental illness, chronic illness, or for older people. Many employees will have caring responsibilities at different times in their lives. Employers have an obligation to avoid discrimination against carers in some circumstances. Under the Sex Discrimination Act, it is against the law for …