How we can help
We don’t give legal advice about general employment matters or superannuation complaints, but we may be able to refer you to another organisation that can help.
- Speak to us
- Help in your language
- Support if you are deaf or find it hard to hear or speak on the phone
We may be able to help you if you have experienced discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation, or racial or religious vilification at work.
We do not help people who have had a discrimination complaint made against them.
Contracts and conditions, minimum rates, termination, and workplace safety
Other organisations that can help
Legal services
Job Watch provides legal assistance to Victorian workers. Job Watch can give you free, confidential telephone information and referrals about work rights.
Your local community legal centre can give you legal information and advice. Most services are free.
Complaints
The Fair Work Ombudsman investigates complaints or suspected breaches of workplace laws, awards and registered agreements and some Fair Work Commission orders. Sometimes, the Fair Work Ombudsman may take legal action to enforce workplace laws.
To make a complaint call the Fair Work Ombudsman Helpline.
Workplace rights
Trade unions can help their members with many employment issues, including questions about pay, unfair dismissals and workers’ compensation disputes.
See the Australian Council of Trade Unions website.
WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria manages the workers compensation scheme and investigates breaches of occupational health and safety laws. There is information on their website about making a claim and returning to work after you are injured at work.
WorkCover Assist is a free service provided by WorkSafe Victoria to help injured workers who have a WorkCover dispute with their employer. The staff will explain the conciliation process and will attend a conciliation conference to assist the employee.
Superannuation
Contact the Australian Tax Office's Superannuation Hotline on 131 020 for enquiries and services on superannuation.
Support for independent contractors
The Australian Government’s Business website has information and resources about contractor rights and protections.
Our business and commercial issues topic also has useful information for independent contractors.
Resources about contracts and conditions, minimum rates, termination, and workplace safety
These resources and publications have information to help you understand your employment rights as an employee or contractor in Victoria.
See a list of all our free publications and resources, including:
Resources from other organisations
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman can help with information about pay, employee entitlements, leave, ending employment and awards and agreements.
The Fair Work Ombudsman website has a range of resources to help employees and contractors. It also has fact sheets about minimum workplace entitlements in Australia.
JobWatch
JobWatch can give you free and confidential phone information and referrals about your rights at work. You can contact them on (03) 9662 1933 if you are calling from a metropolitan area, or 1800 331 617 if you are calling from a regional area.
JobWatch has a range of information sheets about employment rights.
The Law Handbook
Fitzroy Legal Service’s Law Handbook has information about:
WorkSafe
WorkSafe has publications and forms to help injured workers and to avoid workplace injury.
The WorkSafe website has information about:
- WorkSafe claims including returning to work for injured workers and information for employers about the claims process
- the compulsory WorkSafe insurance for employers, which covers costs if your workers are injured or become ill at work
- the laws and regulations that set out the responsibilities of employers and workers to maintain safety in the workplace.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Employee rights in the workplace and what to do if you think that you have been treated unfairly.
Australian Financial Complaints Authority
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority website has information about superannuation complaints.
Working with Children Check
Our duty lawyers are available at some Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal venues. Duty lawyers can help with a directions hearing, and give you advice on how to present your case. If you would like help from a duty lawyer, please call our Legal Help phone line before your hearing date on 1300 792 387.
Other organisations that can help
Community legal centres
Your local community legal centre(opens in a new window) can give you legal information and advice. Most services are free.
Related websites
- Department of Justice and Community Safety, Working with Children Check(opens in a new window).
- Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Worker Screening Act 2020.
Speaking to your employer about discrimination and workplace bullying
People who have been treated unfairly are often unsure about whether the behaviour they have experienced is actually against the law. If you think you have been treated unfairly at work or in other areas of public life, our Equality Law Program can help you understand your legal options.
How we can help
Our lawyers may also be able to help you if you have experienced discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation, or racial or religious vilification in areas such as:
- education
- employment (including partnerships and contractors)
- buying or selling goods or services
- accommodation
- clubs and sporting activities
- working as a volunteer
- treatment by local councils, governments and organisations providing public services
- entry to shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
Other organisations that can help
Legal services
The Disability Discrimination Legal Service gives free legal advice and assistance to anyone who wants to make a complaint about being discriminated against on the grounds of their disability.
The AED Legal Centre gives free legal advice and assistance to people with a disability in the areas of employment, education and training.
Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service is a Victorian community legal centre located in Geelong that helps with disability related legal issues. They mostly help people who have an intellectual disability.
JobWatch is an employment rights legal centre which provides legal assistance to Victorian workers. They can give you free, confidential telephone information and referrals about work rights.
Fair Work Commission
If you reasonably believe that you have been bullied at work and the bullying is continuing you may apply to the Fair Work Commission for an order to stop the bullying. The commission must start dealing with your application within 14 days. They will investigate the complaint and may make orders they think are necessary to prevent the bullying from happening again.
Find out more about what you can do about bullying and discrimination at work.
Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner
If you are under 18 and have experienced cyberbullying, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner. They will assess your complaint and decide whether to investigate or take some other action.
They also have a list of social media services' safety centres where you can report abuse or content that you find offensive.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission enquiry line can provide information to people about discrimination before they choose to make a complaint.
Call the enquiry line on 1300 292 153 or visit the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
Making a complaint about discrimination
Discrimination law is complex. It can be confusing knowing where to go to make a complaint. There are often several options available, such as complaining to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission or the Australian Human Rights Commission or the Fair Work Commission (the workplace relations tribunal).
If you complain to one place, sometimes you cannot later change your mind and complain elsewhere. It is best to call us or speak to one of the services listed on this page to get legal advice before lodging a complaint.
However, if you want to speak directly to a human rights commission or industrial tribunal about making a complaint you can contact:
- the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (Victorian law)
- the Australian Human Rights Commission Complaints Infoline (Commonwealth law)
- Fair Work Commission (Commonwealth workplace law).
Resources about discrimination and workplace bullying
These resources will help you understand more about:
- discrimination and victimisation
- sexual harassment
- bullying
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website has information about:
- what discrimination(opens in a new window) is, the common types of discrimination and how to make a complaint to the commission
- sex discrimination(opens in a new window), including examples of conduct that is against the law and how to make a complaint
- pregnancy and breastfeeding discrimination(opens in a new window), how to respond to it and make a complaint
- gender identity, lawful sexual activity, sexual orientation discrimination and how to make a complaint
- age discrimination(opens in a new window), what you can do if you believe you have been discriminated against or treated unfairly because of your age
- parent or carer status discrimination(opens in a new window), what you can do and how to make a complaint
- race discrimination(opens in a new window), what you can do if you have been discriminated against because of your race, or what race they assume you are
- preventing discrimination in the workplace(opens in a new window) for employers and employees
- sexual harassment(opens in a new window) including what you can do and how to make a complaint
- victimisation in the workplace(opens in a new window), the rights of employees who have made a discrimination complaint and believe they are being victimised by their employers
- workplace bullying(opens in a new window) and what to do if you or someone at work is being bullied
- how the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act protects people from discrimination at work(opens in a new window)
- expunged homosexual conviction discrimination, and what you can do if someone discriminates against you because of a homosexual conviction that has been removed from your criminal record
- racial and religious vilification(opens in a new window), what you can do if you have been vilified because of your race or religion.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman website has information about:
- protection from discrimination at work(opens in a new window)
- what is considered workplace bullying and harassment(opens in a new window), and how the Fair Work Commission can help if you are being bullied or harassed at work.
Fair Work Commission
The Fair Work Commission website has information about:
- what workplace bullying(opens in a new window) is and what the Fair Work Commission can do to help
- sexual harassment at work and what you can do to stop this.
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