Society is dynamic, which brings about change including changing circumstances for parents, gender perceptions, changing role expectations, technology, & work patterns which all shape & bring about new government legislations, policies & supportive workplace structures in order to met the demands & needs of Australia’s society.

Paid work is a paramount necessity for the well-being of individuals. The social, emotional, physical needs of the individual can be satisfied & enhanced through the money & status gained from paid work. Social interactions, financial security, leisure activities, & res

Affirmative Action is positive steps taken by an employer to create a situation that promotes & assists elements of equal opportunity. I986 the Affirmative action Act passed & was amended to become Equal Opportunity of Women in the Workplace Act 1999. This is a positive Act supporting women in the paid workforce. Yet by helping one group of individuals you may be disadvantaging others. Discrimination can be argued by individuals towards industries who are trying to equal out the number of men & women in the workplace by advertising for ‘women only’, unabling men to apply for that employment opportunity. Anti –discrimination laws e.g. NSW Anti-discrimination was legislated making it unlawful for people to be discriminated against as an employee or job applicant on the grounds of age, sex, pregnancy, race, disability, homosexuality, gender, marital status & career responsibilities. This is a positive thing for all individuals of all groups in the community, enabling equal opportunity. Although, discrimination is still occurring irrespectively of the laws against it. Discrimination can occur directly or indirectly. A common group discriminated against is homosexuals who may not be keen on access resources or finding paid work due to it.

Trade Unions & employer associations are apart of Australia’ industrial relations system since it was established nearly a century ago. All employees in Australia have the right to form & be a member of a union. Despite the fact that union membership is dropping, unions have been responsible for some very important achievements for Australian workers including – paid sick leave, annual leave, equal pay for women, maternity leave & workers compensation.

Employers happy with the level of work may provide employees the opportunity to take on further training/study whilst still being paid to heighten their knowledge & multi-skilling them. This is supported by the Industrial Relations Act 1991, which introduced greater scope for enterprise bargaining whereby an employee can negotiate with their employer on training opportunities, pay, & work conditions. Positive work culture leading to higher productivity may enable the business to grow & support the employees’ needs by introducing such schemes such as child minding services & breast -feeding facilities. Although this does mean an extra cost to the employer, it can also mean that well-trained staff members are able to return to the workforce sooner. Yet on the other hand, if workplace culture is negative it may result in dissatisfaction amongst workers, an increased number of sick days taken by employees & a lack of productivity & stress to both employers & employees well-being.

In conclusion all employees & employers have rights & responsibilities in the workplace that need to be followed to ensure a safe & happy work environment. As individuals grow and change so to do their circumstances & needs change e.g. starting a family. Generally needs are met throu

Some topics in this essay:
, NSW Anti-discrimination, Workers Australia, Trade Unions, Safety Act, Relations Act, Workplace Act, Opportunities EEO, Affirmative Action, I986 Affirmative, paid workforce, individual family, employers employees, role expectations, workplace structures, sick leave, supportive workplace, supportive workplace structures, multiple role, workplace culture, employees employers, multiple role expectations, trade unions employer, full-time part-time casual,