This is not an official ATNF web page covering EEO Policies and Procedures.
The following documentation is essentially a brief summary of the Contact Officer Skills
Training Course that was conducted by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board
at ATNF Marsfield on the 15th September 2005.
Contact officer to gather facts as objectively as possible.
Maintain confidentiality.
Get both sides of the story.
Refer the party involved (i.e. the person making the complaint) to Grievance Handler
the grievance handler may be (i) the supervisor, (ii) manager, (iii) HR person, (iv) Union
give the complainant a time frame for resolution.
In the case that the problem is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant
they have the option contacting the Ombudsman or make an official complaint to the
NSW Antidiscrimination Board.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is to be maintained at all times.
Contact Officer is not to talk to anyone except people directly involved in the grievance or resolution.
In exceptional cases, it's NOT a breach of confidentiality for the contact officer
to inform staff in the Human Resources or higher management if there has been a
serious policy breach.
Anti-discrimination legislation that applies to CSIRO employees are
Race Discrimination Act 1975:
Makes racial discrimination unlawful in Australia. Ensureing that
everyone is treated equally, regardless of race, colour, descent,
national or ethnic origin.
Racial Hatred Act 1975:
Makes offensive behaviour based on racial hatred unlawful.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984:
Unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their sex, marital
status, pregnancy, potential pregnancy, parental status and family
responsibilities or to sexually harass a person.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992:
Unlawful to discriminate against a person because of a disability. The
act also covers relatives, friends, and carers of people with a
disability.
Age Discrimination Act 1992:
It is unlawful to treat people less favourably because of their age -
it protects both younger and older Australians.
Workplace Relations Act 1996:
Breaches of human rights by Commonwealth agencies and discrimination in
employment on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political
opinion, national extraction, social origin, age, medical record,
criminal record, marital status, impairment, disaility, nationality,
sexual preference or trade union activity.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986:
Protect the rights of people with disabilities and deals with complaints of
discrimination. It is unlawful to harass or discriminate on the basis
of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national, social or
ethnic origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, sexual preference,
mental , intellectual, psychiatric, or physical disability, impairment,
trade union activity, or being HIV positive.
