Amendments to Antidiscrimination and Equal Treatment Act

Policy Response DateJune 6, 2008 Country: Austria Address: Vienna General Type: Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Anti-semitism, Islamophobia, Afrophobia, Arabophobia, Anti-roma/zinghanophobia, Religious intolerance, Inter-ethnic, Intra-ethnic, Homophobia, On grounds of disability, On grounds of other belief
Groups affected / Interested in: Majority Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Employment - labour market

On June 6th, 2008 the general assembly decided on amendments to the Equal Treatment Act (Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, BGBl. I Nr. 66/2004, last amended by BGBl. I Nr. 82/2005, 10.08.2005) and the Federal Act on the Equal Treatment Commission and the Ombud for Equal Treatment (Bundesgesetz über die Gleichbehandlungskommission und die Gleichbehandlungsanwaltschaft, BGBl. Nr. 108/1979, last amended by BGBl. I Nr. 82/2005, 10.08.2005). It entails several clarifications according to the scope of the legislation (short term employment contracts, victimisation) and to the definition of harassment. Furthermore, it enables victims of discrimination to decide on fighting against dismissals or going for damages. The minimum amounts of compensation for harassment and discrimination in access to employment were raised and an obligation to consider multiple discrimination in fixing compensation sums was introduced.

Source: http://www.parlament.gv.at/PG/DE/XXIII/BNR/BNR_00250/fname_112533.pdf (10.06.2008)