New powers to ensure equality from employers

Equal opportunity officials will have new powers to ensure Victorian employers give more jobs to women, gays and religious and racial minorities.

Employers could be made to increase wages for low-paid staff and become more family-friendly under the sweeping changes.

The Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s beefed-up laws will also be used to ensure employers don’t discriminate against parents, people with disabilities and other minority groups.

The Herald Sun can reveal employers and business owners will have a legal duty to act against discrimination in partnership with the commission.

If they don’t comply over time with reasonable requests from the commission, they could end up in VCAT. Under the changes, to take effect in August next year, the commission could investigate a matter without a complaint being made.

The commission wants employers to help mums and dads work part-time or from home, give women equal pay to men, and ensure low-income workers are paid the same as their peers.

Employers will be required to take 18 grounds of discrimination into account. They include physical features, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, breastfeeding, marital and parental status.

Equal Opportunity Commissioner Helen Szoke said the commission was “committed to working collaboratively with Victorian organisations to achieve change”. “There isn’t anything in this legislation that will disenfranchise anyone,” she said.

“It’s about equal opportunities for everyone.”

Dr Szoke said the Act took into account the context of the business or organisation, and required “reasonable” action. “The Act is going to help eliminate discrimination,” she said.

Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union state secretary Jess Walsh said the laws would put the onus on employers to eradicate discrimination “and that’s a good thing”.

“The onus has always been on individual workers to have to bring a complaint,” she said.

“But actually, if it affects one person at a workplace, it is likely the practices could be entrenched across the board.”

The Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Alexandra Marriott said she had a watching brief on the changes.