Woman sacked for ‘looking young’

A Melbourne real estate agent discriminated against a woman by dismissing her because she looked too young. The Fair Work Ombudsman said Buxton (Sandringham) Pty Ltd, a Buxton Group franchise, had agreed to pay the woman $1,200 compensation and revamp its workplace policies. Buxton employed the woman as a personal assistant when she was 23 but dismissed her after a month. A sales consultant told her company directors who had seen her recording bids at an auction thought she looked too young, was too short and would not have the presence to negotiate at auctions. The consultant said he “needed someone he could turn into a salesperson and this was not possible for her because of her overall young look”. Dismissing her, he said: “The training I would need to do would be a waste of time if I then have this concern six months later.” As part of an enforceable undertaking, Buxton agreed to apologise and pay $1,200 for the woman’s six weeks joblessness after her dismissal. Buxton agreed to improve its training, recruitment and termination policies.

Source: Discrimination Alert, 30 April 2012.