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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 …

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…

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 Australian Human Rights Commission provides a quick guide to Australian discrimination laws, covering federal and state/territory legislation.

It is against the law to discriminate against a person because of his or her marital or relationship status. This includes people who are single, married, in a de facto relationship, separated, divorced, widowed or never married. It also includes people in same-sex relationships. There are some limited exemptions. Discrimination happens when a person is treated less favourably than another…

It can be discrimination when a person does not experience equal opportunity in employment because of his or her political opinion. This may include being refused a job, being dismissed from employment, being denied training opportunities or being harassed at work. The Commission may investigate complaints of discrimination in employment based on political opinion and, where appropriate, try…

It can be discrimination when a person does not experience equal opportunity in employment because of his or her activity in a trade union. This includes being refused a job or dismissed from a job, being refused a promotion, transfer or other benefit associated with employment, given unfair terms or conditions of employment, being refused training opportunities, being refused flexible work …

People who are transgender 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 the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of the person. Example: A shop assistant refused to serve a person who identifies and presents as a…

Discrimination in employment on the basis of religion occurs when someone does not experience equality of opportunity in employment because of their religion. This may include being refused a job, being dismissed from employment, being denied training opportunities or being harassed at work. Discrimination on the basis of religion alone is not unlawful under federal anti-discrimination law …

An employer may be obliged to conduct a police check where there is a legal requirement that an employee or job applicant should not have a certain criminal record. However, an employer should only ask job applicants and employees to disclose criminal record information if certain criminal convictions or offences are relevant to the inherent requirements of the job. Asking an applicant or…