Being discriminated against by your employer because you are pregnant or are a parent (or carer) is illegal in Australia.
What is pregnancy discrimination?
Pregnancy discrimination is when an employer treats a woman badly because she is pregnant. This could come in many forms, but the most common include being refused work, or being fired after disclosing a pregnancy.
What is parental discrimination?
Parental discrimination occurs when a parent is mistreated because they are a parent – they may need to look after their children or their boss insists on unreasonable work conditions that they can’t comply with because of family responsibilities. This might include working full-time hours after an agreement to other work arrangements.
It could manifest in being fired or made redundant while on parental leave, told that they can’t return to their old job after parental leave, told that they can’t work part-time hours or reduced or flexible hours to care for their children.
Read more about parent and carer discrimination law
Each case will be considered on its own merits, and for that reason, it’s good to get legal advice on your particular case – contact Vanessa Ash for a free conversation about your case. Discrimination law is very complex, and making a complaint to the Fair Work Commission, Australian Human Rights Commission, or a state commission like Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission can be confusing.
If you make a complaint to one commission, it may exclude you from making a complaint to another one later. Talk to Vanessa Ash about your options.
Call Vanessa Ash and Associates today to discuss your discrimination case.