Direct Discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another in a comparable situation because of their racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Below are two examples of direct discrimination.
Situation
Jane contacts an organisation, expressing interest in a volunteer position she has found on their website. Her skills match the requirements listed for the position and she is available for immediate start. During her interview, Jane advises the coordinator that she has been out of the workforce for one year as she has had bipolar disorder, but she is excited about volunteering.
After the interview, the coordinator does not call Jane back or return her messages regarding the position as they are under the assumption that people with bipolar are very disorganised and unreliable, and the coordinator feels that may mean an additional workload for the team. This is direct discrimination - Jane is experiencing unfair treatment because she has a mental health issue.
Solution
It would be acceptable for the volunteer coordinator to get a better idea of Jane’s situation. Jane may not need any additional support or adjustments for her to start volunteering. If this is the case, Jane can not be discriminated against on the basis of her disability.
If the coordinator felt Jane may need assistance to volunteer, they could ask her if she would require help to complete the tasks. If Jane indicated that she felt a little nervous about volunteering, some solutions may include:
- Starting Jane in her position for only a few hours per week until she feels confident to start volunteering longer
- If Jane felt nervous about volunteering in a group, perhaps Jane could be invited to join the rest of the volunteers for a cup of tea the week before to get acquainted.
- discussing with Jane the possibility of working along side one person for a few weeks until she felt comfortable in her new position.