Rivers, Thomas Jewellers, Fashion Fair and Kay's Bag Stores refused to submit legally required reports detailing their treatment of women in the workforce, it has been revealed.
All Australian companies with over 100 employees must disclose processes across recruitment, promotion, sexual harassment, pregnancy and breast-feeding each year to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.
The four retailers were among 12 companies nationally which refused to reveal their practices, despite repeated appeals by the agency. All have now been banned from applying for government contracts.
Penalties for non-compliant companies are expected to increase when equal opportunity laws are reviewed in June, 2010.