Discrimination concerns: prepare for a confidential advice meeting

01 / Practical step

Make a neutral chronology

Write down the event, approximate or exact date, people involved and any response. Distinguish what you observed from what someone later told you. If a date is uncertain, say so. Include the relevant policy, message or decision rather than paraphrasing it alone. A chronology should make it easier to ask questions; it is not a substitute for the adviser reviewing the full circumstances.

02 / Practical step

Explain the connection you are concerned about

Describe why you think the treatment may relate to an attribute or circumstance, without treating that concern as a settled legal finding. Record relevant comments or comparisons accurately and identify their source. Include facts that might support a different explanation. Ask the adviser what further information is needed to assess the issue and which protections or processes may be relevant. Federal and state pathways should not be treated as interchangeable.

03 / Practical step

Show any process already started

Include an internal complaint, investigation correspondence, commission enquiry or court material if one exists. Tell the adviser what you have already submitted and what response you received. Ask about the relationship between possible routes before starting several processes. The Australian Human Rights Commission provides complaint information and an information service, but its remit and the appropriate approach need to be checked against the particular enquiry.

04 / Practical step

Plan a safe and workable consultation

Tell the office how it can contact you safely, whether you need an interpreter and whether you would like to discuss a support person. Ask how documents should be supplied. Avoid sending a full sensitive account to several firms before confirming their intake and conflict-check arrangements. This directory does not collect the personal history. Keep the first contact sufficient to identify the kind of work, the parties needed for checks and any urgency.

05 / Practical step

Illustrative example: a changed work arrangement

An employee is concerned about a changed roster after disclosing a health issue. They gather the previous arrangement, the request, the response and subsequent messages. They ask a lawyer to assess the possible explanations and suitable next step. The invented example does not establish discrimination; it shows why the timing and complete correspondence matter. Ask whether the first engagement includes advice only or help preparing a response.

• Dated events and decision records
• Relevant policies and correspondence
• Any complaint already made
• Upcoming dates shown in documents
• Questions about safe contact and scope

06 / Practical step

Agree the purpose of the first advice stage

Ask whether the initial engagement will assess options, review an existing complaint or help prepare a response. Tell the adviser which decision you need to make after the meeting. If several issues overlap, such as an employment change and a discrimination concern, ask how the scope addresses them. Confirm what follow-up is included and how additional work would be agreed, especially if new documents emerge from an investigation.