Discrimination and victimisation

Discrimination

Discrimination is when you have been treated unfairly because of something about yourself; like being a certain ethnicity or cultural background.

Discrimination includes the following situations if they are the cause of unfair treatment:

• you are from a particular race or cultural background.
• You are a particular gender

There are many other situations. The following situations may be considered discrimination if you have been treated unfairly because; 

• you have a short-term illness like coronavirus
• you are providing care to someone 
• you have previously had an illness
• you have a disability

There are laws to protect people from discrimination because of a disability, because they have parental or carer responsibilities, or because of their race. 

Workplace Discrimination

Workplace discrimination occurs when an employer takes adverse action against a person who is an employee or prospective employee because of the following attributes of the person including but not limited to:

• race
• colour
• sex
• sexual orientation
• age
• physical or mental disability 

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/tools-and-resources/fact-sheets/rights-and-obligations/workplace-discrimination

Victimisation

Victimisation is when someone subjects, or threatens to subject, another person to some form of detriment or harm, because they have:

• made a complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment;
• provided evidence, information or documents in relation to a complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment;
• refused to do something that would make them contravene anti-discrimination laws;
• made an allegation that another person has acted unlawfully under anti-discrimination laws.

Victimisation is prohibited under both Federal and State law.

If you think you have been treated unfairly, VALS may be able to assist, call 
1800 064 865.