Discrimination and equity page 88 of 89

The Fair Work Commission has criticised a major Australian corporation for failing to give enough support to an employee who sought an internal transfer on medical grounds so that he could continue working, despite finding that his dismissal for abusing a manager was not unfair.

The Federal Court has granted James Ashby leave to appeal against the finding that his sexual harassment action against former Speaker Peter Slipper was an abuse of process, holding the original judge did not exercise "appropriate caution" in determining motivation.

A high proportion of the 66 bullying claims made so far have been against supervisors, and many could be thwarted by the Fair Work Act's "reasonable management action" exemption, according to a Fair Work Commissioner.

The Federal Government is urging the Fair Work Commission not to be "distracted by" the former Labor Government's broader pay equity principles when assessing an equal remuneration application for childcare workers.

Retail and hospitality workers who are sexually harassed by customers at work might not feel they are able to report and deal with the abuse, according to university research.

Gender reporting requirements "red tape"?; and Bandt bill seeks greater disability, NESB employment.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency says the new mandatory reports that employers of 100-plus employees must submit on April 1 next year will be "significantly easier and quicker to complete" than those under the previous regime. Meanwhile, the WGEA is relaunching its employer of choice accreditation scheme.

A clinical pharmacist has established that a NSW public hospital indirectly discriminated against him on the basis of race because pharmacists from an Arabic background could not meet promotion criteria.

A tribunal has found that an employer's failure to formalise an employee's flexible work arrangements to meet her caring responsibilities led to her seeing them as an entitlement rather than a privilege, and any attempts to change them as workplace bullying.

Lower participation rates almost entirely due to ageing of population, says ACTU; AHRC seeking submissions on pregnancy discrimination; Subclass 457 visa data at odds with Labor Government claims; and SDA runs commercials in cinemas to support bid to remove junior rates.