Discrimination and equity page 23 of 88

Queensland's Palaszczuk Labor Government has accepted recommendations to boost sexual harassment protections, entitle independent "gig" drivers and riders to minimum pay and leave conditions and impose penalties for unregistered unions misrepresenting their status.

The religious discrimination bills now look unlikely to pass before the expected May election, after the Senate delayed debate until Parliament resumes next month.

Two high-profile advocates for survivors of sexual assault and abuse, Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame, have called for imposition of a positive duty on employers to prevent s-x discrimination, s-xual harassment and victimisation, ahead of the Government late this afternoon introducing legislation to implement two recommendations of the Jenkins report into parliamentary workplaces.

The Opposition says it will seek to address "big flaws" in the Morrison Government's religious discrimination legislation, moving changes in both houses, but it leaves the party with wiggle room for the bills to pass if its amendments fail.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese today led apologies for the "unacceptable history" of workplace bullying, s-xual harassment and s-xual assault in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.

The FWC has taken Westpac to task for staging a networking soirée in a sports bar with free alcohol and found it appeared to cloud the judgement of a senior manager who touched a junior colleague's buttocks, but has nevertheless upheld his "catastrophic" sacking.

Government senators on the inquiry into the religious discrimination bills have recommended it pass with minor amendments, and say it should be the role of future governments to "monitor the impacts" of contentious provisions allowing "statements of belief" and overriding state-based protections against discrimination in employment by faith-based bodies.

Rio Tinto's HR practitioners are among the most confident within the company that it can tackle "deeply disturbing" levels of sexual harassment, bullying and racism, as an external report recommends it create an independent unit to better handle complaints.

Telstra is being sued by former customers who allege it is liable for the actions of a past employee who stalked the couple after he accessed confidential contact details.

The Australian arm of an international pest control company is facing claims its chief executive and HR manager victimised and discriminated against its business development manager because she accused a colleague of repeatedly s-xually harassing her.