Office objectives

Indicators

Performance

Safe and thriving communities

Responded to amendments made in September 2023 to the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA) that introduced new protections from discrimination for victims of domestic abuse.​

In anticipation of the changes, Equal Opportunity SA updated its website, online forms and social media content with information for prospective complainants.

A one-page Quick Guide to Domestic Abuse Discrimination Laws was published to assist employers, service providers, landlords and other organisations to understand the new laws.

Equal Opportunity SA’s website was also updated to include a “Quick Exit” button, making it safer to access for victims.

Education on equal opportunity to the community and industry

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

• At Blend Creative’s South Australian Living   Artists exhibition, We’ve Got it Covered.
• To members and participants of the Ageing Well   in CALD Communities Project hosted by the Multicultural Communities Council   of SA about the work of EOSA and discrimination.
• To the Commissioner and staff at the   Independent Commissioner Against Corruption about the Equal Opportunity Act   and the work of EOSA.
• At the Department of Infrastructure and   Transport’s Wear it Purple Day, (an annual awareness day to support young   people in the LGBTQI+ community).
• To staff and members of the Port Adelaide   Enfield Council at the WE’RE EQUAL signing of the Statement of Commitment.
• Co-presented with Steph Halliday (AGD) at the   Legal Services Commission conference, Justice in Peril.
• As a panel member at two OCPSE Executive   Induction Programs, Building a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace.

• To the Gender Consortium, Flinders University,   about equal opportunity laws and WE’RE EQUAL.
• To the LGBTQI+ Ministerial Advisory Council   about the Equal Opportunity Act and the work of EOSA.
• To partners and staff at BDO Audit, Tax, and Advisory   Services at its announcement of joining WE’RE EQUAL.
• As a panel member for a Harmony Day event   hosted by the Multicultural Communities Council of SA about the work of EOSA.
• To the Asian and Hellenic Lawyers Association and   members of the Law Society’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee at   the Unity in Law: Networking to Combat Discrimination event.
• As a panel member at the Council of the   Ageing’s Rainbow Rights in Action Forum.
• At the Australian Hotels Association (SA)   launch of its Bystander Intervention Training Program launch and WE’RE EQUAL   signing of the Statement of Commitment.
• Regularly to University of Adelaide law   students working in the Equal Opportunity Legal Assistance Service about discrimination   law.

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 2023-24 financial year, it referred 65 businesses to its training providers.

A total of 3 training and education sessions were delivered in the 2023-24 financial year, against a target of 40. This was significantly fewer than anticipated, and a review has commenced.

Fairly administered laws

Complaint assessment and conciliation

EOSA received 148 complaints during the 2023-24 financial year, against a projection of 200. It finalised 127 complaints during the same period.

All complaints were assessed to determine what action can be taken by the office. Of the complaints finalised during 2023-24, 37 complaints were accepted, against a projection of 100.

The lower than projected complaint volumes may be attributable to an increase in the use of other complaint pathways, including through the Fair Work and Commonwealth Human Rights jurisdictions, and EOSA’s own self-advocacy tools.

In summary:

• Complaints were   finalised within 2 months.
• The average   time to finalise accepted complaints was 4.5 months.
• The average   time to finalise declined complaints was within 1 month.

Conciliation was attempted in respect of 17 accepted complaints, 11 of which (65%) were successfully conciliated.

​Progress the We're Equal initiative to foster and encourage amongst members of the public informed and unprejudiced attitudes with a view to eliminating discrimination on the grounds to which the Act applies.

At 30 June 2024 WE’RE EQUAL had 161 members businesses and organisations, representing 82% growth in 2023-24, against a target of 25%.

In December 2023, the South Australian public sector Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy 2023-26 was launched. Membership of WE’RE EQUAL is a deliverable for all public sector agencies under the strategy.

Members of the Senior Leadership Council collectively signed the WE’RE EQUAL Statement of Commitment, with agencies subsequently registering for membership, representing over 114,000 South Australian public sector employees.

Outside the public sector, peak sporting bodies such as SANFL, Netball SA, Adelaide United, Adelaide Football Club, and Tennis SA, along with numerous arts organisations, hospitality, and other service providers are leading the way to revitalise South Australia’s well-deserved reputation as a progressive, open and inclusive society that embraces and supports difference and diversity.

WE’RE EQUAL will continue to expand in 2024-25.

Released accessible publications and website content to make it easier for members of the community to understand and exercise their rights under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984.

During 2023-24 the office focussed on new ways to reach members of the community.

It developed an Easy Read guide to making complaints and conciliations, which was designed in consultation with JFA Purple Orange and tested on people with disability.

A one-page Quick Guide to Equal Opportunity Laws was released in plain language and easy read formats in the following community languages:

• Arabic
• Burmese
• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• Dari
• English
• Greek
• Hazaragi
• Hindi
• Italian
• Khmer
• Nepali
• Persian
• Pitjantjatjara
• Punjabi
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

Equal Opportunity SA also released an AUSLAN translation video and accessible versions of the quick guide for deaf and vision-impaired members of the community.

An efficient and effective justice system

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

During the 2023-24 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 2023 and 30 June 2024, EOLAS was staffed by 20 student legal advisors across three semesters. It assisted 62 new clients, 19 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

The office provides 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.

Online forms enable 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.

During 2023-24 the online forms were used 17 times.

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

During 2023-24, the Resources page of EOSA’s website that hosts these tools was accessed over 1,000 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 2023-24 financial year, the office received 568 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 2023-24, the Commissioner was a member of:

• The South   Australian Gender Pay Gap Taskforce.
• 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 100,000 visitor sessions throughout the 2023-24 financial year, against a target of 65,000. Of these, approximately 57,000 were engaged sessions.

Making it easier for the community to interact with us

An accessibility audit was completed with a focus on making the Equal Opportunity SA website and online forms easier to use for people with disability.

As a result 81 changes were made with improvements including advancing the readability of the website, updating transcripts for video content, and introducing written instructions to aid website navigation, amongst other changes.