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QPILCH – Discrimination Law
“How healthy is your organisation?
A legal service for Not-for-Profit organisations”
Discrimination Law
Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House Incorporated
presents
Wednesday 4 June 2008
Thanks to our kind sponsorBlake Dawson
Discrimination Law
204513265
June 2008
Belinda Morandini Lawyer
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Session Outline
What is discrimination? When does discrimination apply? What are the common scenarios that arise in
the context of employment? What is sexual harassment? How does a person make a complaint of
discrimination or sexual harassment? Useful resources
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Anti-Discrimination legislation
Queensland• Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld)
Commonwealth • Human Rights & Equal Opportunity
Commission Act 1986 (Cth)
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
• Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
When does it apply?
Protected attributeParticular places or circumstancesDirect or indirectDoes an exemption apply?
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Protected attributes
Age
Political belief or political activity
Race
sex
Breastfeeding
Relationship status / marital
status
Religious belief or religious
activity
Pregnancy and parental status
Impairment
Trade union activity
Lawful sexual activity
Sexuality
Gender identity
Association with or relation to a
person identified on the basis of
any of these attributes
Family responsibilities
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Places where discrimination applies
Discrimination law only applies to certain areas of public life:
Education Work
Provision of Goods
And Services
Accommodation
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Direct discrimination
Less favourable treatment
Because of an attribute
Same or similar circumstances
Motive irrelevant
May be more than one reason – but the protected attribute must be the substantial reason
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Indirect discrimination
Requirement, condition or practice applied across the board
Person with an attribute can't or doesn't comply
Higher proportion of people without the attribute can or do comply
Not reasonable in the circumstances
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Exemptions
Genuine Occupational Requirements• Example – an actor of a certain age/race/sex
• Example – security person to do body cavity searches on person of a particular gender
Necessary to protect the health and safety of people at work
• Example – truck driver with epilepsy
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Exemptions
Unjustifiable Hardship• Employer will have to supply the person with
the attribute with special services or facilities
• The cost/benefit of the special services impose an unreasonable burden on the employer
Must be unjustifiable – not just hardship
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Common Scenarios in Employment
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Interviews
Applies to pre-employment conduct Cannot ask questions upon which
discrimination could be based• Example – do you have children?
• Example – are you a member of a union?
• Example – do you have injuries?
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Can you ask anything?
Yes – but it must be necessary to determine if:
• The person can meet the genuine occupational requirements of the position
• If the person poses a workplace health and safety risk
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Tips for Employers
Prepare a detailed analysis of the genuine occupational requirements of the position
Pre-plan the screening method• Ensure questions and any assessments are
directly connected to the genuine occupational requirements of the job
Pre-plan your questions• Is there any reason you cannot perform or may
suffer an injury if you perform [name of task]?
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
A right to part-time work after maternity leave?Right to part-time work?What are "reasonable efforts"?
• Tleyji v Travel Spirit Group [2005] NSWADT 294
• Mayer v ANSTO [2003] FMCA 2009
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Tips for Employers
• Give full and proper consideration to an employee's request to work part time
• Can they swap positions with another employee?
• Are there part-time employees who want to work full-time?
• Can a job-share arrangement work?
• Trial the employee's proposal
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Fitness for work
Consider• Can the employee carry out the genuine
occupational requirements of the position?
• What reasonable accommodations can be made?
• Is there an unacceptable risk to the employee's health and safety?
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Tips for Employers
• Prepare a detailed analysis of the genuine occupational requirements of the position
• Does it require lifting? How heavy? How frequently? Confined spaces?
• Obtain specialist medical opinion as to whether the employee can perform these tasks safely
• Provide the employee with an opportunity to provide own medical evidence and provide alternatives
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Termination of Employment
Anti-Discrimination Legislation Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth)Industrial Relations Act 1999 (Qld)
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Other examples
Can a person be discriminated against because of homelessness?
• No – Homelessness is not a protected attribute
Can a person be discriminated against because they have a criminal record?
• Yes – but in limited circumstances
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Sexual Harassment
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Sexual harassment
Sexual advance or conduct of a sexual nature
Unwelcome conduct
Offends, humiliates or intimidates the other person
Based on a reasonable person's assessment
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Conduct of sexual nature May be written, verbal or physical
Uninvited physical contact
Telling smutty jokes or making remarks of a like nature
Sexually explicit conversation
Touching or fiddling with a person's clothing
Staring or leering at a person or at parts of their body
Visual communication eg posters, graffiti
Offensive email message or computer screen savers
Includes any gesture, action or comment of a sexual nature in a person's presence
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Sexual harassment can be
A single act
A course of conduct
Unwelcome conduct not aimed at someone directly, but part of a work pattern or culture
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Sexual harassment laws …
Do not prohibit friendships or relationships between colleagues
Are not intended to make the workplace a grey and sterile environment
Do apply at work related social events, such as conferences and end of year parties
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Other concepts in discrimination legislation
VictimisationTreating someone less favourably because they made a complaint or are involved in the complaint (eg witness)
Vicarious liabilityEmployer liable for employees acts unless can prove employer took reasonable steps to prevent conduct
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Making a discrimination/harassment complaint
Complainant can choose to lodge a complaint under State or Commonwealth laws
Queensland • Anti-Discrimination Commission• Anti-Discrimination Tribunal• Supreme Court
• Queensland Industrial Relations Commission Commonwealth
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)
• Federal Court or Federal Magistrates Court• High Court
• Australian Industrial Relations Commission
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
Useful Resources
Anti-Discrimination Commission, Queensland - www.adcq.qld.gov.au
HREOC - www.hreoc.gov.au Criminal records –
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/criminalrecord/on_the_record/download/otr_guidelines-01.pdf
QPILCH – Discrimination Law
The End