CAL is an equal employment opportunity employer. All matters relating to employment - including recruitment and selection, remuneration, transfer, promotion and training opportunities - are decided purely on the basis of qualification, experience, merit and ability, and upon the person’s willingness and determination to take on a position and make a success of it.
CAL’s policy is to eliminate any direct or indirect unfair discrimination that acts as a barrier to employment and progression within CAL. Any form of unfair discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated, including those based on gender, race, marital status, physical impairment and sexual preference.
All employees are required to conscientiously contribute to implement CAL’s position regarding these matters.
Any complaints are treated seriously and with utmost confidentiality. Any complaint will be promptly investigated and the appropriate people interviewed. Should a complaint be substantiated, immediate and appropriate steps will be taken to prevent the unfair behaviour from recurring.
Discrimination
Both federal and NSW laws* say that it is against the law to discriminate against people, or treat them unfairly, in various areas of public life. One of these areas is employment.
This means that in NSW all employers and supervisors must generally treat all their employees, and anyone who applies for a job with them, fairly. In particular, they must not treat them unfairly, or harass them because of their, or any of their relatives’, work colleagues’ or friends’:
- sex;
- race, colour, ethnic or ethno-religious background, descent or nationality;
- marital status;
- disability (including past, present or future physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability, learning disorders, or any organism capable of causing disease - for example, HIV);
- pregnancy;
- homosexuality (male or female, actual or presumed);
- age (including not forcing them to retire at the old retirement age); or
- transgender (commonly known as transsexuality).
* The laws are the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, the federal Racial Discrimination Act 1976, the federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the federal Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1987 and the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is defined in the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act as "an unwelcome sexual advance or an unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcomed conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances in which a reasonable person, having regards to all the circumstances, would have anticipated that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated".
Sexual harassment can include:
- suggestive behaviour;
- offensive gestures;
- sexual jokes;
- sexual insults or taunts;
- verbal comments or abuse;
- unwanted physical contact;
- sexual propositions; or
- display of sexually explicit or offensive material in the workplace.
What happens if there is harassment or discrimination?
CAL employees have the right not to be sexually harassed or discriminated against. CAL has in place a sexual harassment and discrimination complaints procedure, including processes for resolving complaints and for monitoring and redress should a complaint be substantiated. These processes are contained in CAL’s Human Resources Policy available to all employees.
CAL has a commitment to ensuring that no-one is unfairly disadvantaged.