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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…