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Work Environment Discrimination and Harassment.

Australian Federal and State legislation states illegal discrimination occurs when a group of people, people are dealt with less favourably than any other person or group of individuals since of their ethnicity, race, colour, sex, marital status, age or disability, faith and sexual reference, whether your a member of a trade union and any other characteristic defined under anti-discrimination or human rights legislation.

Work environment discrimination and harassment can happen in:
– Employment and selection of staff.
– Training and type of training being offered.
– Being thought about for a transfer, promotion or sacking.
– Work location conditions.

What is specified as illegal harassment?
Under Australian state and federal legislation unlawful harassment can happen when an individual humiliated because of their race, or intimidated and insulted because of there colour, ethnicity, or any other specified particular under anti-discrimination or human rights legislation.

Work environment harassment can include behaviour such as:
– Mailing or sending suggestive or sexually explicit notes, letters or e-mails.
– The making of derogatory taunts or remarks about a persons faith or race. telling insulting The making of jokes about specific racial groups.
– Nude or adult posters displayed.
– The asking of concerns about an individuals sex life or personal life.

The nature of harassment and or discrimination.
No matter the severity of an incident, whether it be a prolonged or one-off and long termed, it will still be judged as harassment or discrimination. , if left untreated the ongoing harassment will deteriorate the drive and capability of the individual or group to ultimately effect the total efficiency of their work efficiency.

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However the absence of any formal or verbal complaints is not necessarily any sign that harassment or discrimination is not occurring. In a great deal of cases the person or group being pestered or discriminated against will not complain or report the occurrence in the belief that they will be deemed as wingers or the event is too minor. In many cases the victim of the work environment harassment or discrimination is lacking self-confidence in their own ability and has worry of retribution or perhaps worse, being dismissed.

Hostile working environment
As a company you will likewise require to be familiar with your duties in making the workplace a safe location from a culture of racial or sexual harassment. Both are considered as HOSTILE. An example of a possible hostile working environment would consist of the screen of adult or nude product, swearing and crude discussions, racially or sex specific jokes.

What can not be classified as harassment or discrimination.
It needs to be remembered that comments and guidance provided by supervisors, work associates and supervisors on the work efficiency or work associated behaviour of a specific or group need to not be confused with office harassment or discrimination.
Feedback during regular efficiency appraisals and work performance conferences will always be considered as demanding and will in some cases effect the well being of the individual or group being appraised. Managers and supervisors must always keep these concerns in mind and carry out any essential appraisal with sensitivity without preventing the requirement to offer complete and frank feedback to their personnel.

What is workplace bullying?
Sourced the from ACTUQ/QCCI/Qld Govt Dept of Workplace Health and Safety, they declare that work environment bullying is “the repeated less beneficial treatment of an individual by another or others in the work environment, which may be considered inappropriate and unreasonable office practice. It consists of behaviour that frightens, offends, breaks down or humiliates an employee”.

Bullies will use their status or power of position in a business or business to target both men and women with their bullying practices. Bullying behaviour can vary from apparent spoken or physical attack to extremely subtle psychological abuse.

This behaviour would include:
– Psychological harassment. (mind video games).
– Excluding or isolating targeted employees.
– Assigning difficult tasks or jobs to targeted employees.
– Physical or verbal abuse.
– Inconvenience picked employees by intentionally altered work rosters and shifts.
– Yell and shriek offensive language.
– Intimidation.
– Undermine work efficiency deliberately by withholding important job info.


The absence of any official or spoken problems is not necessarily any indication that harassment or discrimination is not occurring. In a lot of cases the person or group being bugged or discriminated versus will not grumble or report the incident in the belief that they will be deemed as wingers or the occurrence is too trivial. The victim of the workplace harassment or discrimination is doing not have confidence in their own ability and has fear of retribution or even worse, being dismissed.

As an employer you will also need to be conscious of your responsibilities in making the work environment a safe location from a culture of racial or sexual harassment. An example of a potential hostile working environment would consist of the display of naked or pornographic material, swearing and crude conversations, racially or sex particular jokes.
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