Complaints about discrimination in employment
Learn about discrimination in the workplace, what your rights are, and what happens after you make a complaint to the Commission.
Summary
Learn about discrimination in the workplace, what your rights are, and what happens after you make a complaint to the Commission.
You can make a complaint if you have been treated unfairly at work because of one of the following attributes:
- sex, including pregnancy, marital or relationship status (including same-sex de facto couples), breastfeeding, family responsibilities, gender identity, intersex status and sexual orientation
- disability, including people with disabilities who have a carer or who uses a disability aid or assistance animal; as well association with a person with a disability
- race, including colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, immigrant status and racial hatred
- age, covering young people and older people
- criminal record
- trade union activity
- religion
- political opinion
We can also look at claims if you feel you have been subjected to sexual harassment, sex based harassment, a hostile workplace or racial hatred.
Unfair treatment could include being refused a job, being dismissed from employment, being denied training opportunities, missing out on a promotion or receiving less favourable working conditions or terms of employment.
Here are some examples of the complaints we receive:
Fatimah applied for a job in a retail outlet. During the interview the employer asked whether she was Muslim and would need ‘time off for prayers'. Fatimah did not get the job and believes it was because if her religion.
Louise is an organiser for the workplace union. She has been told she will not get any more overtime because she put up notices about a union meeting at work.
Richard applied for a job in a call centre but was unsuccessful after a criminal record check showed he had a conviction for drink driving six months ago.
Bill says his workmates call him ‘queenie' at work and talk in a ‘camp' tone around him because they found out he is a same sex relationship. Complaints lodged with the Commission can be investigated and, if appropriate, resolved through conciliation.
For more information, please refer to:
- For employers wanting to provide meaningful job opportunities to people with disability, and for people with disability navigating pathways to employment explore the IncludeAbility project page.
- Information for complainants
- Conciliation.
Contact us
For more information, please contact one of the Commission's Information Services.