Scenario #3: Principals v Persons Wanting to Be a Commission Agent

 

The Rules

The Act makes it unlawful for a principal to discriminate against a person wanting to be a commission agent on the ground of disability in relation to:

  • making arrangements for determining who should be engaged as a commission agent,

  • determining who should be engaged as a commission agent, and

  • the terms on which the principal engages the person as a commission agent.

Specific Exceptions

The below exception applies to when the principal is determining who should be engaged as a commission agent.

IF –

  • taking into account:

    • the person’s past training, qualifications and experience relevant to engagement as a commission agent, and

    • all other relevant factors that it is reasonable to take into account,

  • the person, because of their disability:

    • would be unable to carry out the inherent requirements of a commission agent, or

    • would, in order to carry out those requirements, require services or facilities that are not required by persons without that disability and the provision of which would impose an unjustifiable hardship on the employer,

THEN – the discrimination will not be unlawful.


To determine whether there is an ‘unjustifiable hardship’, all relevant circumstances of the particular case need to be taken into account including the:

  • nature of the benefit or detriment likely to accrue or be suffered by any persons concerned, and

  • effect of the disability of a person concerned, and

  • financial circumstances and the estimated amount of expenditure required to be made by the person claiming unjustifiable hardship.


General Exceptions

There are no general exceptions that apply to this scenario.

Elizabeth (Liz) Greenwood

Senior Policy Manager, Business NSW

Previous
Previous

Scenario #2: Employers v Employees

Next
Next

Scenario #4: Principals v Existing Commission Agents