NATIONAL: Budget fashion retailer Rivers Australia is among 12 companies to have allegedly flouted laws concerning women in the workplace.
An annual report by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), tabled in Parliament this week, listed organisations which had not submitted a compliance report stating conditions and provisions for women within their workplace.
Of the 12 which were found to be non-compliant, seven had breached the Equal Opportunity for Women in The Workplace Act 1999 for more than three years. Ten did not submit a report at all.
Rivers Australia and Thomas Jewellers were both named in the non-compliant listing. This means they are prohibited from trading with the Federal Government and some State and Territory governments.
They are also ineligible for certain industry assistance programs.
Last year, EOWA called for these sanctions to be toughened in a review of the agency and its underlying legislation. This included a push for the organisation's staff and the public to made aware of their non-compliant status.
EOWA is still reliant on organisations self-identifying before they become part of the reporting cycle. Acting director Mairi Steele said many organisations that should report currently do not.
"There are hundreds of businesses with over 100 employees that should be reporting to EOWA each year but are not. I strongly encourage employees to check whether their organisation is one of these or contact EOWA for further information.
"Not only are these organisations failing to comply with the legislation, they are also not gaining the benefit of the wealth of information, research and support that EOWA staff can provide to help them develop effective and sustainable equity programs."
FAIR GO: EOWA campaigns for women in the workplace.
