The Commission has developed
a range of useful resources for use in Australian workplaces including the
Good practice, good
business CD-Rom
and a range of
fact sheets and brochures.

Putting effective anti-discrimination and anti-harassment strategies in place in your workplace is good practice, which is good for business.

A productive and cohesive workplace helps:

• increase your pool of potential employees - meaning you get the best person for the job
• build the morale and productivity of your employees
• minimise complaints, disruptions and legal wrangles - so you can get on with work
• add to your bottom line and build your reputation in the community.

Simple steps to follow . . .

The information for employers in this section provides some simple steps you can to take to address discrimination and harassment in the workplace by:

• outlining your responsibilities as an employer
• developing effective workplace policies and best practice guidelines, and
• establishing and implementing complaints procedures

It will also direct you to contacts, publications and resources that can help get you started.

Understanding your responsibilities

All employers are required to create a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment. These responsibilities are set out in a range of state and federal laws which help protect people from unlawful behaviour.

In addition, there are a range of Acts which cover employers such as: various state Occupational Health and Safety Acts, the Equal Opportunity in the Workplace Act, the Public Service Act, and the Workplace Relations Act to name but a few.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is responsible for the implementation of federal human rights and anti-discrimination law in Australia. The Commission administers five federal laws that cover discrimination and breaches of human rights:

• Age Discrimination Act 2004
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986

The Commission also provides employers with information and resources to understand and meet their obligations under the legislation.

---

In this section you can find:

• What is workplace discrimination and harassment?
• A summary of federal and state anti-discrimination laws, with links to the full text of the legislation
• Fact sheets on age discrimination, disability discrimination and harassment, race discrimination and harassment, sex discrimination and harassment and workplace bullying.

Employer responsibilities and policies

• Information on the responsibilities of employers to their staff (vicarious liability)
• Guidelines for developing effective anti-discrimination policies in the workplace
• How to write an anti-discrimination and harassment policy
• How to write a sexual harassment policy

Complaints procedures

Information on developing complaints procedures in your workplace including:

• Strategies to develop and implement internal complaint procedures, including informal and formal procedures
• A guide to informal resolution of complaints by managers or supervisors
• How to make complaints to external agencies

Best practice guidelines

Best practice guidelines for employers including:

• Guidelines for recruitment and selection
• Guidelines in the workplace environment

Information for small business owners

• A guide for small businesses
• A guide for very small business

Directory of contacts and resources

• Contact details for federal and state anti-discrimination agencies
• A publication list of Commission resources for employers
• Links to useful websites