Discrimination for being a parent or carer is illegal in Australian workplaces, and is considered a protected characteristic. Not every ‘characteristic’ of a person is protected, and not every place is protected, for example you can be bullied in your own home, but not at work.

     Parental and carer rights and options
Employers must seriously consider any request for flexible working arrangements from workers with children, or other people who depend on them. This is at the discretion of the employer, but employees can contest decisions. These arrangements may consist of working part time, working from home, job sharing, adjusting start or finish times, or condensing working hours into fewer days.

     Discrimination may look like…

• Long-service leave that favours uninterrupted working lives of ten years or more – if someone has taken time off work to care for others, this interrupts their decade stretch and unintentionally disadvantages them.
• Someone may want to return to full-time work, but their position may no longer exist after a restructure.
• Employers may not want to accommodate people with heavy caring loads or small children.
• There are other scenarios, and each will be slightly different in its details.

If there is a case that needs to be heard from either side of the discrimination coin – that is, if you are being accused of discriminating against an employee, or you are the employee who feels that they have been discriminated against, contact Vanessa Ash for legal advice.

Discrimination cases can be very difficult to prove, so it’s important that no matter where you’re coming from, you have good legal advice to support your claims. Vanessa Ash can guide you through the complaints process and legal system.

Don’t leave it to chance. Call Vanessa Ash and Associates today.