Other Workplace Dispute Resolution Bodies

Other workplace issues

• Fair Work Commission deals with workplace disputes and issues like sexual harassment, discrimination, workplace rights, bullying and unfair dismissal.
• Fair Work Ombudsman monitors, inquiries into, investigates, and enforces compliance with Australia’s workplace laws.
• Federal Court or Federal Circuit Court, for judicial review under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977.
• Administrative Review Tribunal reviews decisions made by Australian Government agencies, departments and ministers.
• Comcare is the national work health and safety regulator and manage workers’ compensation claims for Australian Government agency employees.
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is the national regulator for privacy and freedom of information. If you are dissatisfied with the result of an FOI request, you may ask them to review it.

State and Territory merit review bodies

• Industrial Relations Commission of NSW conciliates and arbitrates to resolve industrial disputes, sets conditions of employment and fixes wages and salaries by making industrial awards, approves enterprise agreements and decides claims of unfair dismissal.
• Victorian Public Sector Commission  monitors compliance with the public sector values, codes of conduct and public sector employment principles and standards, reviews employment related actions and maintains a register of lobbyists.
• Queensland Industrial Relations jurisdiction includes industrial disputes involving state and local government employees, and unfair dismissals and reinstatement applications for state and local government employees.
• Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission resolves disputes about industrial matters, including any matter relating to the work, privileges, rights or duties of employers or employees in industry.
• South Australian Employment Tribunal has responsibility for reviewing specific types of employment decisions made about South Australian public sector employees.
• Tasmanian Industrial Commission is responsible for the review of applications by State Service employees in relation to selection and other actions relating to their employment.
• ACT Public Service (ACTPS) Enterprise Agreements establish an Appeals Mechanism for employees who are not satisfied with the outcome of a decision that affects them. For more information, please refer to ACT Government Fact Sheet.
• Northern Territory Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment conduct promotion, disciplinary, and inability appeals for Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) employees.

Assistance with sexual harassment matters

• Respect@Work website brings together a comprehensive set of resources to support individuals and organisations to better understand, prevent and address workplace sexual harassment.

Assistance with discrimination, social justice and human rights’ abuses

• Australian Human Rights Commission for information about discrimination including sexual discrimination
• Or contact your state or territory agency for assistance with human rights, anti-discrimination or equal opportunity matters:
  • ACT Human Rights Commission.
  • Anti-discrimination New South Wales.
  • Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission.
  • Queensland Human Rights Commission.
  • Office of the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity [SA].
  • Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tasmania.
  • Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
  • Equal Opportunity Commission [WA]