Policy Statement 1.6 - Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Diversity

1. Position Summary

Employers of dental practitioners should have policies and processes that address equal employment 
opportunity and workplace diversity to create workplaces that encourage and support equity and 
fairness and eliminate all forms of discrimination. Employers must respond quickly and appropriately to 
any issues raised in accordance with relevant federal, state and territory legislation.

2. Position

2.1 Workplace diversity principles should be incorporated into all aspects of human resource 
management, including workforce planning, recruitment and selection, performance 
management, learning and development, leadership development, workplace health and safety 
and workplace relations.
2.2 Employers should embed the principles of equal employment opportunity and workplace diversity 
through implementation and support of policies, processes and procedures.
2.3 Employers should ensure that investigative and procedural mechanisms are well documented, 
expedient, accessible to all staff, and performed in such a manner as to protect all staff.
2.4 Employers and principals must respond quickly and appropriately to any issues raised regarding 
equal opportunity and workplace diversity and try to address them within the workplace.
2.5 All persons should be encouraged to raise any equal opportunity issues and should contribute to 
making a workplace that is inclusive and free from bullying, harassment and discrimination.
2.6 Where a person does not believe the workplace will be able to address their concerns about 
discrimination, they have the right to raise their complaint directly with external anti-discrimination 
bodies including the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the relevant state and territory 
agencies.

3. Background

3.1. Australia has one of the most diverse populations in the world. People come from a wide range 
of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with different religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disabilities, 
family responsibilities, socio-economic background, life, and work experience. By managing 
equal opportunity and workplace diversity, employers, including the ADA and its members, 
demonstrate a commitment to reflecting the composition of the Australian community in our own 
workforce. 
3.2. Workplace Diversity is an umbrella title for strategies that recognise and accommodate the 
differences in ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, different religious beliefs, sexual 
orientation, disabilities, family responsibilities, life and work experience of our workforce.
3.3. Workplace Diversity maintains the basic principles of equity, merit and non-discrimination which 
formed the basis of equal employment opportunity (EEO) legislation and puts a new emphasis on 
valuing workplace difference as good management practice.

• • • EEO policies address the disadvantage experienced by particular groups of people in the 
      workplace including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with a 
      disability and those who may experience disadvantage on the basis of race or ethnicity.
    • Workplace diversity also encompasses, age, language, cultural background, sexuality, 
      religious belief, political belief and family responsibilities. Additionally, workplace diversity 
      recognises the other ways in which people are different from each other, such as level of 
      education, life experience, work experience, socio-economic background, personality, 
      neurodiversity, marital status, and personal commitments.

3.4. Diversity in the workplace enhances the ability to provide excellent services to members and the 
Australian community, and ensures employees are working in a safe and harmonious 
atmosphere.
3.5. A workplace that recognises and engages diversity, values and utilises peoples’ different 
backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to achieve its objectives, is able to be innovative 
and generate new ideas. 
3.6. All persons have the right to an equal opportunity environment.
3.7. All persons have an obligation to act in accordance with the law and their professional and ethical 
obligations with regard to equal opportunity and workplace diversity.
3.8. There are national equal opportunity laws and state and territory health and safety bodies that 
provide mechanisms to help people subject to bullying, discrimination and harassment in the 
workplace and provide the general legal framework to support workplace diversity.
3.9. ADA's Code of Conduct requires that dental practitioners behave in a respectful way towards
others and upholds that good practice involves genuine efforts to understand the cultural needs 
and contexts of all patients and clients, to obtain good health outcomes.

4. Last review

June 2025

5. Next review due

June 2030

This Policy Statement is linked to other Policy Statements: 5.4 Complaints Resolution, 5.8 Dental Acts and Boards, 6.3 Dental Health Care Workers (And Students) Infected with Blood-borne Viruses, 6.4 
Management of Impaired Dental Practitioners & 6.20 Social Responsibility