Fair and Equal in the World of Work: Two Significant Federal Developments in Discrimination Law

Australian Journal of Labour Law, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 199-219, 2010

Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 10/04

23 Pages Posted: 5 Jan 2010 Last revised: 1 Apr 2015

See all articles by Belinda Smith

Belinda Smith

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law; University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law

Date Written: January 4, 2010

Abstract

Two recent discrimination law reforms represent a significant strengthening of human rights in Australia, particularly for persons with disability, bringing the right to equality in from the cold and more squarely into the industrial realm where workplace terms and conditions are determined and regulated. The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), replacing the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth), introduces new discrimination provisions that may expand anti-discrimination rights and, at the very least, brings the Fair Work Ombudsman’s powers and resources to the enforcement of anti-discrimination rights in work. This reflects a major regulatory shift that has both symbolic and instrumental potential to promote equality as an employment right not merely a moral claim.

The Disability Discrimination and Other Human Rights Legislation Act 2009 (Cth) amended the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and other Acts. Most fundamentally, the DDA changes make express that employers (and other duty holders) have an obligation to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ to enable the equal economic and social participation of persons with disability.

After briefly identifying regulatory weaknesses of Australian anti-discrimination laws to date, I outline the new provisions and analyse how they might operate. These changes provide new rights and enforcement means for victims of discrimination but with some outstanding questions and issues.

Keywords: discrimination, work, disability, Australia, law, Fair Work Act, reasonable adjustments, regulatory

JEL Classification: K10, K30, K31

Suggested Citation

Smith, Belinda M., Fair and Equal in the World of Work: Two Significant Federal Developments in Discrimination Law (January 4, 2010). Australian Journal of Labour Law, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 199-219, 2010, Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 10/04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1531444

Belinda M. Smith (Contact Author)

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law ( email )

New Law Building, F10
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law

Boalt Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-7200
United States

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