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Two Rivers Newsletter

Winter 2005 Number 15

ISSN 1447 9362

Two Rivers is a quarterly newsletter produced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit of the Office of Industrial Relations to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with information, stories and updates on happenings within the world of industrial relations.

 

What has happened since the last newsletter?

Lismore Employment Information Forum

The recent Employment Forum at Lismore in March brought together presenters from the Office of Industrial Relations, WorkCover NSW, Anti Discrimination Board and Office of Fair Trading to assist Aboriginal organisations from Lismore, Coraki, South Grafton and Guyra. Comments from the participants included -

It gives a better understanding of government agencies and face to face talking so you meet people and can connect to someone in that organisation'.

General Comments - 

All sessions were relevant to my workplace.

Yes, it gave a different understanding of other organisations.'

 

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Upcoming Forums

7 and 8 June

Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Land Council

426 Wood Street

Deniliquin

 

A full list of participating government agencies and program of topics will be available at least two weeks before each forum. Registration for these forums is essential for catering and administrative purposes. It will also enable us to let you know if information forums have to be re-scheduled or cancelled. To register please call Rae Hamilton or Chris Capper on 1300 361 968.

 

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Your Rights at Work - Part 9

Harassment and Bullying

What is harassment?

 

Harassment is any form of behaviour that is not wanted and not asked for and that:

·       humiliates someone

·       offends them

·       intimidates them

 

In NSW it is against the Anti Discrimination Act 1977 for employees to be harassed during the course of their work because of their:

·       sex

·       pregnancy

·       race (including colour, nationality, descent, ethno-religious background)

·       marital status

·       disability

·       homosexuality

·       age

·       transgender

·       carer's responsibility

 

It is also against the law for a person to be harassed because of their relationship to or association with a person of a particular sex, race marital status etc. Sexual harassment is also against the law. Usually harassment is ongoing or a series of events. But just one act can be harassment. Harassment can take many forms. Depending upon whether the behaviour is accepted or not, the following could be considered to be harassment:

·       material that is racist, sexist, sexually explicit, homophobic etc. and is displayed publicly, circulated or put in someone's work space or belongings, or on a computer or fax machine

·       verbal abuse or comments that put down or stereotype people generally, or an individual particularly, because of their sex, pregnancy, race, homosexuality, disability etc.

·       jokes based on gender, race, marital status, homosexuality, disability, age etc.

·       sexually, racially, etc offensive gestures or conduct

·       ignoring, isolating or segregating a person or group because of their sex, homosexuality, race etc.

What can an employee do about harassment or discrimination?

 

People who are harassed or discriminated against have a legal right to complain to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board if they can't solve the problem within the workplace and/or don't trust the workplace to solve it.

 

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How can I stop harassment and discrimination occurring at my workplace?

 

What we accept and do not accept in the workplace is the key to preventing discrimination and harassment at work. Employers and managers have a strong impact on workplace culture.  For prevention to be effective an atmosphere of trust and open communication must be established.

The goal is to create a workplace where everyone is treated equally and with respect, individual differences are appreciated and it is accepted that everyone has the right to feel comfortable and safe at work. This sort of work environment will benefit everyone as employees will be highly motivated and the productivity of the business will be maximised.

 

Some ways this can be achieved include:

·       declared management commitment to eliminating discrimination and harassment

·       establishing whether discrimination or harassment has occurred in the workplace, for example, by surveying employees

·       developing simple anti-discrimination and harassment policies and ensuring that all employees are familiar with them

·       establishing an appropriate grievance/complaint handling mechanism for when someone has a complaint

·       keeping appropriate records about complaints

·       educating employees about their rights and responsibilities regarding discrimination and harassment

·       providing an appropriate work environment

·       ensuring that recruitment and promotion practices and training opportunities are based on merit.

 

What is bullying at work?

A bully is defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary as "a person who uses strength or power to coerce others by fear" and that to bully is to "oppress, persecute, physically or morally by (threat of) superior force."

Examples of bullying behaviour include unfair and excessive criticism, publicly insulting victims, ignoring their point of view, constantly changing or setting unrealistic work targets and undervaluing their efforts at work.

Dealing with the problem

It is vital to act promptly to eliminate bullying in the workplace. Ongoing bullying can be costly in terms of increased sick leave, absenteeism and turnover. By creating a work environment which does not tolerate bullying, you can substantially improve staff commitment and productivity.

Eliminate bullying at work

There are a number of steps that you can take to eliminate bullying in your workplace:

·         establish and circulate a policy making bullying clearly unacceptable

·         identify unacceptable behaviour and explain why it is unacceptable

·         nominate a staff member who is trained in counselling and encourage anyone who feels they have been bullied to talk to them

·         actively encourage employees who are being bullied to lodge a complaint

·         guarantee confidentiality of any complaints and investigate them promptly

·         ensure a fair hearing to the person being bullied and provide support

·         monitor the work environment to ensure that it is bullying-free, especially where there has been restructuring or a change in personnel

·         provide ongoing training for all staff to cover bullying awareness, harassment and discrimination, assertiveness, interpersonal skills and confidence building.

 

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