How do racial and religious tolerance laws apply to the workplace?
Vilification is public behaviour which incites hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or ridicule of others. Vilification because of race or religion is unlawful under the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. Racial hatred is public conduct which offends, insults, humiliates or intimidates someone because of their race, colour or national or ethnic origin. Racial hatred is unlawful under the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act 1975. These laws are targeted at behaviour in public places. However, in some cases, where such behaviour occurs in the context of a workplace, the offending conduct may also be considered to have been done in public.
