Wright v Fluor Australia Pty Ltd

In *Wright v Fluor Australia Pty Ltd*, the applicant, Ms. Wright, brought proceedings against the respondent, Fluor Australia Pty Ltd, alleging discrimination on the basis of her sex and disability. The matter was heard in the Federal Court of Australia.

The primary legal issues before the Court were whether Fluor Australia Pty Ltd had discriminated against Ms. Wright on the basis of her sex, contrary to section 14 of the *Sex Discrimination Act 1984* (Cth), and on the basis of her disability, contrary to section 5 of the *Disability Discrimination Act 1992* (Cth). Specifically, the Court was required to determine if the termination of Ms. Wright's employment constituted unlawful discrimination.

Judge Nicholls found that Ms. Wright had not established that her termination was due to her sex. However, the Court determined that Fluor Australia Pty Ltd had discriminated against Ms. Wright on the basis of her disability. The Court reasoned that the employer's decision to terminate Ms. Wright's employment was substantially influenced by her disability, and that the employer had failed to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate her condition. The Court applied the principles of unlawful discrimination under the *Disability Discrimination Act 1992* (Cth), focusing on the causal link between the disability and the adverse action taken by the employer.

The Court ordered that Fluor Australia Pty Ltd pay Ms. Wright damages for the discrimination suffered.