Office objectives

Indicators

Performance

Safe and thriving communities

Education on equal opportunity to the community and industry

The Commissioner presented to the public in a number of forums including:

• To the Asian and Hellenic lawyers CPD (with   Assistant Commissioner) about the role of the office, current issues, and the   WE’RE EQUAL initiative.
• CPD for AGD lawyers about the work of the   office and an update on the Review into Harassment in the Legal Profession   with the Assistant Commissioner.
• A panel discussion for lawyers about barriers   facing advocates in and out of the courtroom, Advocating for Advocacy, (facilitator   and co-organiser)
• To the Gender Consortium, Flinders University   about equal opportunity laws and WE’RE EQUAL.
• Panel member at SA Unions conference session, Elevating   Worker Voices.
• To Westside Lawyers about the work of the   office and WE’RE EQUAL.
• Panel member Disability Inclusion: The   Recruitment and Retention Advantage, hosted by Purple Orange.
• To SACOME on the work of the office and   reviews into harassment in the legal profession and Parliamentary workplaces.
• Panel member, Pursuing Gender Equality in   2022, (Alice Springs).
• Presentations about WE’RE EQUAL to community   groups, the Law Society, the Beck Group with the WE’RE EQUAL Project Officer   and Assistant Commissioner.
• To Year 12 students at Adelaide High School   about sexual harassment.
• University of Adelaide law student   presentation about conciliation conference – framework and pathways.

Enable equal opportunity training through partnership with industry

The office operated a Training Referral Program (TRP) to ensure that individuals and organisations can receive education on equal opportunity matters. The TRP includes a panel of training providers approved by the office to deliver high-quality training to the community.

During the 2022-23 financial year, it referred 55 businesses to its training providers.

A total of 29 training and education sessions were delivered in the 2022-23 financial year, against a target of 40.

Fairly administered laws

Complaint assessment and conciliation

EOSA received 163 complaints during the 2022-23 financial year, against a projection of 215. It finalised 182 complaints during the same period.

All complaints were assessed to determine what action can be taken by the office. Of the complaints finalised during 2022-23, 71 complaints were accepted, against a projection of 120.

Compared to 2021-22, few complaints related to COVID-19. The lower than projected complaint volumes represent a return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

In summary:

• Complaints were   finalised within 2.8 months.
• The average   time to finalise accepted complaints was 5.6 months.
• The average   time to finalise declined complaints was within 1 month.

Conciliation was attempted in respect of 41 accepted complaints, 25 of which (61%) were successfully conciliated.

Launch the WE’RE EQUAL initiative and graphic device to educate the community about diversity and inclusion, and through business partnerships, encourage community-led demand for discrimination-free environments and quality equal opportunity customer service.

Equal Opportunity SA launched WE’RE EQUAL following a successful pilot in August/September 2022.

The pilot promoted the initiative through mainstream and social media, and a WE’RE EQUAL drink bottle giveaway at participating hospitality businesses and events. Nearly 700 people registered in support of the initiative, along with 38 new businesses wanting to participate in WE’RE EQUAL beyond the pilot.

The pilot also saw a 51% increase in total activity across Equal Opportunity SA’s website[1], particularly for information about discrimination laws and types of discrimination (+85%), complaint processes and pathways (+69%), training and resources (+95%) and education for schools (+60%).

Since the pilot, WE’RE EQUAL has expanded to include businesses in the financial sector, high profile venues, government departments, legal firms, retail outlets, unions, social support enterprises, aged care, and health that are now championing the initiative to their workers, customers, contractors, and suppliers.

At 30 June 2023 WE’RE EQUAL had 73 members businesses and organisations. WE’RE EQUAL will continue to expand its audience in 2023-24.

An efficient and effective justice system

Partnering with the University of Adelaide to provide legal advice and research

During the 2022-23 financial year the office continued its partnerships with the University of Adelaide.

The Equal Opportunity Legal Advice Service (EOLAS) provides legal advice and assistance on discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and supports preparation for conciliation conferences and tribunal hearings.

Between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, EOLAS was staffed by 21 student legal advisors across three semesters. It assisted 77 new clients, 36 of whom had self-reported as being referred by EOSA.

As part of the University of Adelaide’s Law and Justice Internship Program the EOSA’s Internship Program provided for an exceptional law student to undertake research on topics relating to the work of the office during a 22 to 25-day internship. Three interns were hosted during the year.

Tools to empower victims

In 2022-23 the office released new tools to empower those who experience discrimination and sexual harassment to exercise their rights and complain directly to service providers, employers and others as an alternative to making a formal complaint, or as a precursor to doing so.

A new online form is now available which enables individuals to report unlawful discrimination. The completed form results in an email being sent to the person or business involved outlining the discrimination and encouraging it be addressed.

Editable letter templates to complain about discrimination and sexual harassment were also developed to help victims formalise their concerns and raise them directly with the perpetrators.

During 2022-23, the Resources page of EOSA’s website that hosts these tools was accessed over 1,000 times. The discrimination complaint letter template was downloaded 89 times and the sexual harassment complaint letter template 22 times.

Our people meet customer needs

Providing information and advice to individuals and organisations

EOSA provided advice and information to the community through telephone and email services.

During the 2022-23 financial year, the office received 553 enquiries to these services, against a projection of 600.

Collaboration on policy development and service delivery

Equal Opportunity SA provides advice and support to many policy and service delivery initiatives.

In 2022-23, the Commissioner was a member of:

• The South Australian   Gender Pay Gap Taskforce
• The South   Australian Multicultural Charter working group.
• The Commissioner   for Public Sector Employment’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Committee.
• The Australian   Council of Human Rights Authorities (ACHRA)

Progressive technology and supportive infrastructure

Community engagement using EOSA’s website

The office operates a website providing the public with information, resources and online forms for complaints and enquiries.

The website is built with accessibility, mobile responsiveness and community engagement as a focus.

It had approximately 66,000 visitor sessions throughout the 2022-23 financial year, against a target of 80,000.

Develop new online forms to improve accessibility and streamline processes

Launched the Anti-Discrimination Register (ADR), an online form that enables members of the public to report discrimination issues directly to the owners and operators of public venues and buildings.