SEX DISCRIMINATION HICKIE V HUNT & HUNT
“Marea Hickie, a contract partner with Sydney law firm Hunt & Hunt, brought a complaint against her employer after her request to work part-time following the birth of her child was refused. She claimed the firm had given away her client base while she was on maternity leave. In a complaint heard by HREOC, Commissioner Evatt found that the law firm had indirectly discriminated against Ms. Hickie by requesting to work full-time in order to maintain her practice. The firm was ordered to pay $95,000 in compensation. The case highlighted the importance of employers putting in place flexible working arrangements.” The Commission had to examine whether there was enough evidence to support direct or indirect discrimination. At that time, in order to prove direct discrimination there had to be an appropriate comparator , meaning, to compare one individual’s treatment against the general standard of treatment in the given organization. This would assist the Commission to ...