1. Obligations
Alchemy Saunas is committed to providing a safe, flexible, and respectful environment for our team members and clients, free from all forms of discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment.
All members of the Alchemy Saunas team are required to treat others with dignity, courtesy, and respect.
By effectively implementing our Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Policy, we aim to attract and retain a talented team and create a positive environment for everyone involved.
We are committed to ensuring that your personal information remains secure and confidential in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Please read this statement carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal information.
2. Responsibilities
Employees and Clients:
- Right to Equity: Entitled to fair treatment and decisions based on merit, not affected by irrelevant personal characteristics.
- Environment Free from Harassment: Work and enjoy services in an environment free from discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment.
- Raise Concerns: Right to raise issues or complaints in a respectful manner without fear of victimisation.
- Support Others: Offer support to people who experience discrimination, bullying, or sexual harassment, and respect the confidentiality of the resolution process.
- Dignity and Respect: Treat everyone with dignity, courtesy, and respect.
Team members must:
- Follow the standards of behaviour outlined in this policy.
- Support people who experience discrimination, bullying, or sexual harassment, including providing information about how to make a complaint.
- Avoid gossip and respect the confidentiality of complaint resolution procedures.
- Treat everyone, including other team members, clients, and the public, with dignity, courtesy, and respect.
Management
Managers and supervisors at Alchemy Saunas must:
- Model appropriate standards of behaviour.
- Educate team members about their obligations under this policy and the law.
- Intervene quickly and appropriately when aware of inappropriate behaviour.
- Act fairly to resolve issues and enforce workplace behavioural standards, ensuring all relevant parties are heard.
- Assist team members in resolving complaints informally.
- Refer formal complaints about breaches of this policy to the management team for investigation.
- Ensure that no team member who raises an issue or makes a complaint is victimised.
- Ensure that recruitment and service decisions are based on merit and free from discrimination.
- Seriously consider requests for flexible work arrangements.
3. Application of This Policy
This policy applies to:
- All team members at Alchemy Saunas, including managers and supervisors, across all types of employment (full-time, part-time, casual, temporary, or permanent), job candidates, student placements, and contractors.
- All interactions and services provided to clients and the public.
- All aspects of employment including recruitment and selection; conditions and benefits; training and promotion; task allocation; shifts; hours; leave arrangements; and workload.
- Environments where Alchemy Saunas’ duties are carried out, including on-site, off-site, after-hours work, work-related social functions, and conferences.
4. Unacceptable Conduct
Discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment are unacceptable in Alchemy Saunas and are unlawful under various legislation, including but not limited to:
- Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
- Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)
- Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth).
Team members found engaging in such conduct may be counseled, warned, or disciplined. Severe or repeated breaches can lead to formal discipline, up to and including dismissal.
5. Discrimination
Discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavourably because of a personal characteristic protected by law, such as sex, age, race, or disability.
Discrimination can occur:
- Directly, when a person or group is treated less favourably than another person or group in a similar situation because of a personal characteristic protected by law. For example, a worker is harassed and humiliated because of their race; or a worker is refused promotion because they are ‘too old’.
- Indirectly, when an unreasonable requirement, condition, or practice is imposed that has, or is likely to have, the effect of disadvantaging people with a personal characteristic protected by law. For example, redundancy is decided based on people who have had a worker’s compensation claim rather than on merit.
Protected personal characteristics under Federal discrimination law include, but are not limited to:
- Disability, disease, or injury, including work-related injury
- Parental status or status as a carer, for example, because they are responsible for caring for children or other family members
- Race, colour, descent, national origin, or ethnic background
- Age, whether young or old, or because of age in general
- Sex
- Industrial activity, including being a member of an industrial organisation like a trade union or taking part in industrial activity, or deciding not to join a union
- Religion
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Sexual orientation, intersex status or gender identity, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer and heterosexual
- Marital status, whether married, divorced, unmarried or in a de facto relationship or same sex relationship
- Political opinion
- Social origin
- Medical record
- An association with someone who has, or is assumed to have, one of these characteristics, such as being the parent of a child with a disability
6. Bullying
Bullying is unacceptable in Alchemy Saunas and can take many forms, including jokes, teasing, nicknames, emails, pictures, text messages, social isolation or ignoring people, or unfair work practices.
Behaviours that may constitute bullying include:
- Sarcasm and other forms of demeaning language
- Threats, abuse, or shouting
- Coercion
- Isolation
- Inappropriate blaming
- Ganging up
- Constant unconstructive criticism
- Deliberately withholding information or equipment that a person needs to do their job or access their entitlements
- Unreasonable refusal of requests for leave, training, or other workplace benefits
7. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a specific and serious form of harassment. It is unwelcome sexual behaviour, which could be expected to make a person feel offended, humiliated, or intimidated. It can be physical, spoken, or written and includes:
- Comments about a person’s private life or the way they look
- Sexually suggestive behaviour, such as leering or staring
- Brushing up against someone, touching, fondling, or hugging
- Sexually suggestive comments or jokes
- Displaying offensive screen savers, photos, calendars, or objects
- Repeated unwanted requests to go out
- Requests for sex
- Sexually explicit posts on social networking sites
- Insults or taunts of a sexual nature
- Intrusive questions or statements about a person’s private life
- Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
- Inappropriate advances on social networking sites
- Accessing sexually explicit internet sites
- Behaviour that may also be considered to be an offence under criminal law, such as physical assault, indecent exposure, sexual assault, stalking or obscene communications
8. Victimisation
Victimisation occurs when someone is treated detrimentally because they have made a complaint or are involved in a complaint process. It is strictly prohibited and will be met with severe consequences.
9. Gossip and Confidentiality
It is unacceptable to discuss any ongoing investigation or disclosure of personal information obtained through work roles outside the context of formal resolution processes. Breaching confidentiality is a serious violation of this policy.
This policy mandates respect and equity for everyone at Alchemy Saunas, ensuring that the environment is not only compliant with the law but also promotes a culture of inclusivity and respect, where all individuals feel safe and valued.
10. Response and Resolution Procedures
Filing a Complaint: Any team member or client who believes they have been subjected to behavior that violates this policy is encouraged to file a complaint. Complaints can be made verbally or in writing to designated staff members who are trained to handle such issues.
Initial Assessment: Upon receiving a complaint, a preliminary assessment will be conducted to determine the necessity for a formal investigation. This assessment will consider the severity of the alleged behavior and the complainant’s wishes.
Investigation Process:
- Formal Investigation: If a formal investigation is deemed necessary, it will be conducted promptly and impartially. An investigator will be appointed who may be an internal staff member trained for this role or an external professional, depending on the complexity and sensitivity of the case.
- Evidence Collection: The investigator will collect evidence, which may include interviews with the complainant, the respondent, and any witnesses. All parties will be assured of confidentiality to the extent possible throughout the process.
- Impartiality: The investigation will be conducted neutrally, without any bias towards any party involved.
Communication During Investigation:
- Regular Updates: Both the complainant and the respondent will receive regular updates about the status of the investigation.
- Support Measures: Interim measures may be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the complainant and others involved. This may include temporary adjustments to work or service arrangements.
Post-Investigation Actions:
- Outcome Communication: Upon conclusion of the investigation, both parties will be informed of the outcome and any actions to be taken.
- Disciplinary Actions: If the complaint is substantiated, Alchemy Saunas will take appropriate action. This may range from mediation and counseling to disciplinary actions such as warnings, suspension, or termination for employees, and suspension or banning from the premises for clients.
- Preventive Measures: In addition to addressing the specific incident, Alchemy Saunas may implement broader measures to prevent future occurrences, such as policy revisions, additional training, or environmental adjustments.
Non-Retaliation Guarantee:
- Protection from Retaliation: Alchemy Saunas guarantees that no individual who files a complaint or participates in the investigation process will be subject to retaliation. Any retaliatory behavior will be treated as a separate and serious issue and will be subject to disciplinary action.
This structured approach ensures that all complaints are handled with the seriousness they deserve, while also maintaining fairness and confidentiality for all parties involved. The goal is to resolve issues in a manner that respects the dignity of everyone at Alchemy Saunas
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this policy or procedure, please contact us.
