Working Women’s Legal Service
My work, My rights, My life
Do you believe you have experienced sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, breastfeeding discrimination, discrimination because of your family responsibilities or discrimination because you are a woman?
If you would like free legal advice, please complete the form below to contact us
Our specialist legal service for working women provides advice about:
- Sexual Harassment
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Discrimination
- Carer / Family Responsibility Discrimination
- Sex Discrimination
Please use the button below to request advice, or leave a voice message by calling 02 8745 6954. Our service will follow up with you ASAP.
Print a poster to promote this service.
If you need legal advice on discrimination or employment that falls outside of these areas of law, please call Law Access on 1300 888 529 to ask for a referral to your closest Legal Aid office or community legal centre.
Sex discrimination
It is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you because of your gender. Examples of sex discrimination include:
- being paid less than a male colleague in and equivalent role
- being denied a promotion or other opportunity because you are a woman
- not giving you a job because you are a woman.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment at work is against the law. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct which is humiliating, offensive, embarrassing or intimidating. It includes things like:
- staring and leering;
- sexual comments and jokes;
- inappropriate questions about your private life or your body;
- sexual or physical contact such as slapping, kissing, touching, hugging and massaging;
- circulating or displaying emails, texts, posters, magazines and screen savers of a sexual nature.
Even if these things are not directly aimed at you, it can still be sexual harassment.
Family responsibilities
It is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you because of your responsibilities as a carer for children, or for other family members who might need you to care for them such as a partner, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling.
Examples of carer’s discrimination include:
- not employing you, not offering you training or not promoting you because you have responsibility for young children now or perhaps in the future;
- firing you because you have to care for an ill partner;
- not considering a reasonable request for part-time work which would accommodate your responsibilities as a carer;
- requiring all staff to start and finish work at a particular time which is more likely to negatively effect people who have responsibility for dropping off and collecting children from school.
Pregnancy discrimination
It is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you because you are pregnant or because you may become pregnant.
Examples of discrimination include:
- not employing you or not promoting you because you are pregnant or you might become pregnant;
- firing you because you are pregnant;
- not providing you with a larger size uniform;
- not giving you the same or similar job when you return from parenting leave.
Breastfeeding discrimination
It is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you because you are breastfeeding or need to express milk. Examples of breastfeeding discrimination include:
- not employing you because you are breastfeeding
- not allowing you to breastfeed / express milk at work
- not allowing you to take short breaks at work so you can breastfeed / express
Keep in touch