How Do You Deal With Unfair Treatment At Work

How do you deal with unfair treatment at work when you cannot tell whether anything has actually been breached? Sorting it into one of three categories tells you which route applies.

Unlawful. The treatment connects to a protected attribute, or follows a complaint you made. Anti-discrimination or general protections pathways apply, and time limits are short.

A breach of entitlement. Pay, hours, leave, breaks or classification under an award or agreement. This is a Fair Work matter and is often the easiest to establish.

Poor management. Inconsistent, thoughtless or unreasonable, and not unlawful. No external pathway, but internal options exist.

Most people assume the first category applies, and a great many situations turn out to be the second, which is far more straightforward to establish and to resolve. Check your award or agreement before anything else.

The Fair Work Ombudsman covers entitlements. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s EEO training course and workplace compliance courses.