In a case that illustrates sexual harassment problems at remote mine sites, the Commission has upheld BHP Billiton's sacking of a service technician after he groped and pursued two young female cleaners, prompting one to leave the "too unsafe to return" worksite.
Victoria's Supreme Court has ruled that an employer might have treated a manager unfavourably because of her age and sex when it ignored her repeated requests to provide her similar over-agreement pay rates to those afforded to male colleagues, while it has also found that the State's equal opportunity laws enable consideration of "unconscious bias".
A tribunal has awarded a s-xually harassed and assaulted beauty therapist $150,000 in general damages, equal to $70 per day for the six years she has suffered and will likely continue to suffer the effects of the conduct.
Former Workplace Gender Equality Agency director Libby Lyons has called for "radical changes" to stamp out unfairness in the Fair Work Act, ditch gendered terms and discriminatory clauses in agreements and stop stereotyping women as caregivers.
The Victorian Supreme Court has confirmed that an investigation by leading barrister Kate Eastman SC found that one of its former judges subjected two former associates to sexual harassment and/or sex-based discrimination.
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.
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.