Anti-Discrimination,Harassment,EqualEmploymentOpportunity(EEO)and Grievance Policy

This policy applies to all employees, contractors and other persons who perform work for, or on behalf of GoldenAge (“workers”). This policy applies to all work-related functions and activities including external training courses and corporate events sponsored by GoldenAge. 

Breaches to this policy may result in disciplinary action including termination of employment. 

GoldenAge is committed to providing a safe, flexible and respectful workplace environment free from discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. 

GoldenAge expects that all workers treat colleagues and people with whom we deal (including visitors, customers and other third-parties) with sensitively and respect. 

Behaviour that constitutes discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, vilification, victimisation or bullying will not be tolerated and will lead to disciplinary action being taken, which may include dismissal. 

GoldenAge expects all workers to adhere to and comply with the requirements specified in this policy and in addition, everyone is required to: 

• Take reasonable care for their own Health and Safety. 
• Comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations. 
• Treat colleagues with sensitivity, dignity, respect and courtesy always. 
• Draw matters of concern to the attention of the appropriate level of management. 
• Consider the impact of their behaviour towards another person. 
• Engage in honest and ethical conduct. 
• Co-operate with us so that we are able to provide a working environment which provides equality of opportunity. 
• Offer support to people who experience discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment, including providing information about how to make a complaint. 
• Avoid gossip and respect the confidentiality of complaint resolution procedures. 
• Maintain their behaviour, language communications and presentation as appropriate to their position, the workplace, client interactions and the industries in which GoldenAge operates. 

Manager responsibilities: 

• Model appropriate standards of behavior. 
• Take steps to educate their team/workers of the obligations of all workers under this policy and law. 
• Intervene appropriately when they become aware of behaviours. 
• Encourage all workers to report inappropriate behaviour. 
• Help workers resolve complaints informally and where appropriate, with the assistance of Human Resources. 
• Seek advice from Human Resources or more senior members of management when in doubt or where the manager has become aware of inappropriate conduct. 
• Ensure workers who raise concerns or make complaints are not victimised 
• Ensure recruitment, promotion and other managerial decisions are lawful, fair and based on merit. 

All new Goldenage workers are required to complete induction, which will outline a workers’ responsibilities under this policy.

AllGoldenAgeworkershaveaccesstoourEAP-employeeassistanceprogramwhereworkersareentitledtoa certain amount of free, professional counselling. Refer to our EAP kit for further information.

Breachestothispolicymayresultindisciplinaryactionincludingterminationofemployment.

Appropriate Behaviors

EveryoneatGoldenAgehastheobligationtotreatothersfairlyandnotdiscriminate,bully,victimiseorharassfor any unlawful reason, any worker, contract worker, agent, contractor, supplier or visitor.

You might unlawfully harass or discriminate against someone even if you do not mean to do or say anything offensive. It is not a legally acceptable defense to say that you did not intend to disadvantage, humiliate, offend or intimidate somebody else - what matters is how someone else views your behaviour. 

You must always consider how your behaviour will be viewed by the person or people you are dealing with. It is sometimes difficult to know whether someone will find your behaviour acceptable. What is offensive to one person may not be offensive to another. If in doubt you should discuss with others how your behaviour may be seen. 

Workers are to be mindful to ensure that their behaviour is welcome and acceptable. Some people may not feel comfortable telling you that your behaviour is offending them, or that they do not consent to what you are doing.

Workers are expected to act when they witness inappropriate behaviours described by this policy. This may include intervening at the time (when safe and appropriate to do so), or to confidentially and promptly report the matter to management or human resources. 

Inappropriate behaviours should not be ignored. In some instances, GoldenAge may find that bystanders who are aware of inappropriate behaviour yet do nothing to protect the health and safety of their coworkers have engaged in misconduct. 

Definitions

Discrimination occurs when someone is treated unfavourably because of a personal characteristic that is protected under law. Personal characteristics may include: 

• Gender and gender identity; 
• Pregnancy; 
• Race (including colour, nationality, descent, ethnic or ethno-religious background); 
• Religion and religious activity/belief; 
• Marital status; 
• Disability (actual or presumed; current or past; physical, intellectual, disability or long-term illness); 
• Age; 
• Carer Status; 
• Sexuality (actual or presumed); and 
• Any personal association with someone having any of these characteristics. 

The above is not an exhaustive list of protected attributes at federal and state level. Further information can be obtained from the Australian Human Rights Commission. 

Indirect Discrimination occurs when apparently neutral policies or practices have an effect of unreasonably excluding certain persons or groups of people by reason of a protected attribute. 

An example of indirect discrimination is where an employer imposes a minimum height requirement for certain roles (when there is no practical need for the requirement) which may then disproportionately discriminate against female employees. 

Harassment is any unwelcome behaviour or conduct which has no legitimate workplace function and which intimidates, humiliates or offends another person based on a protected attribute.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It has nothing to do with mutual attraction or consensual behaviour. 

Sexual harassment is not mutual attraction or consensual behaviour. 

Equalemploymentopportunity(EEO)meansthatemploymentpoliciesandpracticesarebasedon,andoperateaccordingto, theprinciple of merit. This means that workers are treated fairly and equitably when

makingemploymentdecisionsandthatunlawfuldiscriminationdoesnottakeplace.Itisagainstthelawto discriminate against someone because of a protected attribute (see definition of discrimination forattributes).

Workplace bullyingis repeated unreasonablebehaviourdirected to a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. Unreasonablebehaviourrefers to things that people say or do, that a reasonableperson,havingregardforthecircumstances,wouldseeasvictimising,humiliating,underminingor distressing.

Reasonableadjustmentsarechangesthatallowpeoplewithadisabilitytoworksafelyandproductively. These changes should be both practical and possible in nature.

Victimisationissubjectingorthreateningtosubjectsomeonetoadetrimentbecausetheyhaveasserted their rights under equal opportunity law, made a complaint, helped someone else make a complaint, or refused to do something because it would be discrimination, sexual harassment or victimisation. It is also victimisation to threaten someone (such as a witness) who may be involved in investigation an equal opportunity concern or complaints.

Vilification is a public act which incites, encourages, or urges others to hate, have contempt for, or ridicule a person or group because they are members of a particular group. Free speech is not a defence to vilification. 

As an example, it would be racial vilification if a person encouraged a number of their co-workers to act against a particular racial minority group in the workplace. 

Gossip–It is unacceptable for workers to talk with other workers, clients or suppliers about any complaint of discrimination or harassment. Breaching the confidentiality of a formal complaint investigation or inappropriately disclosing personal information obtained in a professional role is a serious breach of this policy.

Discrimination

Discrimination may occur at any time during the employment cycle and is most common when a decision needs to be made, this includes: 

• During recruitment and selection, 
• Determining the pay, terms, and benefits offered to prospective or current employees, 
• The selection of who will attend training or receive other benefits, 
• Selecting employees for promotion or advance opportunities, and 
• The selection or decision-making criteria for redundancy or other dismissals.

Managers and workers must ensure that when they make decisions (such as the examples above) they do soon the basis of merit and business requirements and do not consider protected attributes.

Discrimination law makes it unlawful to harass a person on the basis of a protected attribute. 

There are similarities and overlap between harassment, discrimination and bullying. It is not a defense to harassment that offence was not intended. 

Examples of harassment include: 

• Telling racist jokes, 
• Sending inappropriate text or other messages including social media, 
• Displaying inappropriate or otherwise offensive posters and other material in the workplace, and 
• Making derogative comments about a person’s disability. 

Sexual Harassment is a specific form of harassment. Sexual harassment, in any form, will not be tolerated at GoldenAge. 

Workers must consider their actions, comments and other behaviours before they act. Workers must ask themselves if an ordinary person could be offended, humiliated or intimidated. If in doubt, workers should not engage in an act or comment and instead, seek advice from management. 

Whether a worker intends to sexually harass another worker is irrelevant. 

Examples of sexual harassment include: 

• Staring or leering. 
• Unnecessary familiarity such as touching or hugging. 
• Suggestive comments, jokes or questions about a person’s private life. 
• Subtle innuendo or gossip about a person’s sexual history. 
• Displaying offensive objects, posters or other materials. 
• Accessing, storing or distributing sexually explicit material online or with the use of other devices. 
• Sending emails, text messages or other forms of electronic communications containing inappropriate comments, advances, questions or other content of a sexual nature. 

The above is a summary list of examples. There are many other forms of conduct which could constitute sexual harassment. Just because a specific form of content is not listed in this policy will not exclude other behaviours which fall reasonably within the definition of sexual harassment.

Bullying behaviour is generally repeated, unreasonable and creates a risk to health and safety. Bullying is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at GoldenAge.

Unreasonable behaviour is behaviour that are as on able person, having regard to the circumstances, may see as unreasonable.

Examples of workplace bullying include: 

Sarcasm and other forms of demeaning language. 

Threats, abuse or shouting including where such conduct occurs in the presence of others. 

Coercion. 

Isolating a person from a group. 

Inappropriate blaming. 

Ganging up. 

Engaging in unreasonable gossip against an individual. 

Constant unconstructive or unfounded criticism. 

Deliberately withholding information or equipment that a person needs to do their job or access their entitlements. 

Reasonable management actions and the allocation and management of work should not be confused with bullying, even where workers do not accept those actions. Reasonable management action for example, may include, but is not limited to: 

Performance management processes; 

Disciplinary action for misconduct; 

Informing a worker about unsatisfactory work performance or inappropriate work behaviour; 

Directing a worker to perform duties in keeping with their job; and 

Maintaining reasonable workplace goals and standards.

Reasonable instances of guidance, counselling or managing the work performance of workers ,where these actions are appropriate, professional and impartial ,doe snot constitute bullying. Invoking unsatisfactory performance procedures or misconduct procedures does not in itself constitute bullying of workers.