EEO obligations

Equal opportunity legislation places obligations on employers, regardless of their size, to maintain a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.

Discrimination is prohibited on various grounds. The following list combines the grounds that apply under Federal and Victorian state legislation:

• Race (including colour, descent, nationality, national or ethnic origin)
• Racial and religious vilification
• Immigration
• Sex
• Sexual harassment
• Marital status
• Pregnancy
• Potential pregnancy
• Family responsibilities and status as a parent or carer
• Disability/impairment (including physical, intellectual or psychiatric)
• Religion, religious belief or activity
• Political opinion, belief or activity
• Age
• Medical record
• Criminal record
• Sexual preference / sexual orientation
• Trade union activity
• Industrial activity
• Lawful sexual activity
• Physical features
• Breastfeeding
• Gender identity

Personal association with a person with any of the above characteristics (excluding potential pregnancy, family responsibilities, medical record, criminal record, sexual harassment, sexual preference, trade union activity and racial and religious vilification).

The following list combines the grounds that apply under Federal and NSW state legislation:

• Race (including colour, descent, nationality, national or ethnic origin and ethno-religious background)
• Racial vilification
• Immigration
• Sex
• Sexual harassment
• Marital status
• Pregnancy
• Potential pregnancy
• Family responsibilities and responsibilities as a carer
• Age
• Disability/impairment (including physical, intellectual or psychiatric)
• Medical record
• Criminal record
• Sexual preference
• Trade union activity
• Homosexuality
• Homosexual vilification
• Compulsory retirement
• Transgender
• Transgender vilification
• HIV/AIDS vilification

Association with or relation to a person with any of the above characteristics (excluding racial vilification, sexual harassment, potential pregnancy, family responsibilities and responsibilities as a carer, medical record, criminal record, sexual preference, trade union activity, homosexual vilification, compulsory retirement, transgender vilification, HIV/AIDS vilification).

The following list combines the grounds that apply under Federal and Queensland state legislation:

• Race (including colour, descent, nationality, national or ethnic origin)
• Racial and religious vilification
• Sex
• Sexual harassment
• Marital status
• Pregnancy
• Potential pregnancy
• Family responsibilities
• Parental status
• Breastfeeding
• Disability/impairment (including physical, intellectual or psychiatric)
• Religion or religious activity
• Political opinion, belief or activity
• Age
• Medical record
• Criminal record
• Gender identity
• Sexuality / sexual preference
• Trade union activity
• Lawful sexual activity

Association with, or relation to, a person with any of the above characteristics (excluding racial and religious vilification, sexual harassment, potential pregnancy, family responsibilities, medical record, criminal record and sexual preference).

Training
View our Training programs for courses on this topic.

Publications
To order the publication on this topic, Ai Group Handbook of Employment – EEO, Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Policy visit the Ai Group online shop.