Discrimination is treating a person with a certain characteristic or attribute less favourably than a person who does not have the characteristic or attribute.
Federal and state anti-discrimination laws in Australia make it unlawful for people with certain attributes to be discriminated against in many areas of public life. The Fair Work Act 2009 provides some additional protections in workplace law for employees with disabilities.
Characteristics or attributes covered by anti-discrimination laws include disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and political beliefs or activities.
Areas of public life covered by anti-discrimination laws include employment, education, accommodation, and the provision of goods, services and facilities.
The focus of this web page is on disability discrimination in the workplace. This includes discrimination as a result of chronic illness.
Next Section: What laws protect me from disability discrimination in the workplace?