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Discrimination In The Workplace

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While the world has unanimously advanced and is more accepting of change, the workplace continues to be a place of discrimination, prejudice and inequality. Discrimination is broadly defined to ‘distinguish unfavourably’, isolate; and is context based (Pagura, 2012). Abrahams (1991) described the workplace as an ‘inhospitable place’ where gender disparity and wage gaps persist (Stamarski & Son Hing, 2015). Among other states and countries, the Australian government actively implements and passes laws to protect and maintain equal employment rights. While the objective of these laws is ‘to eliminate discrimination,’ the regulatory mechanisms in the legislation are largely ineffective at achieving this ultimate goal (Smith, 2008). However, …show more content…

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 was enacted for the purpose of giving effect to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status or pregnancy in areas including education, accommodation and provision services (Strachan & French, 2007). Furthermore, the legislation promoted recognition and acceptance of the principle of equality of men and women within the community. Additionally, the removal of discriminatory barriers has designed and ‘encouraged’ a change in treatment of women in recruitment, retirement, dismissal and termination. As a result, social behaviour modifies through the setup of rules that ‘employers must not discriminate’ through the enforcement of law (Strachan & French, 2007).

Acker (1998) posits, despite years of advancement and equity practices; a gendered substructure explains the persistence of male hegemony and the female disadvantage. There’s a conventional assumption of an ordinary worker to be a man without obligations outside of work that will be a means of distraction. According to a study, it was found there is significant proactivity in implementing equal opportunity strategies under the guise of ‘organisation of work and conditions of service’ (Strachan & French, 2007). Furthermore, segregation at the workplace has remained almost unchanged, despite two decades of equal employment opportunity legislation.

Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991

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