Discrimination occurs when a person, or a group of people, is treated less favourably than another person or group because of their background or certain personal characteristics. This is known as 'direct discrimination'.
It is also discrimination when a rule or policy applies to everyone but has the effect of disadvantaging some people because of a personal characteristic they share. This is known as ‘indirect discrimination’.
Discrimination is against the law in South Australia when it:
- is based on a particular personal characteristic or grounds specified in the Equal Opportunity Act
- happens in an area of public life
- causes loss or humiliation
- is sexual harassment
- is treating people unfairly because they are whistleblowers - called victimisation.
What is Discrimination? factsheet (PDF, 88.3 KB)
Examples of discrimination
Direct discrimination
An employer refused to hire a suitably qualified person as a shop assistant because they were Aboriginal, and instead hired a less qualified person of a different racial background.
This could be racial discrimination.
Indirect discrimination example
A policy that says only full-time workers will get access to professional development.
This could discriminate against women who are more likely to work part-time to accommodate their family responsibilities.