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Bullying, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

Negative workplace behaviours, like bullying, discrimination, and harassment, can erode team trust, impact staff well-being, and compromise patient safety. Practices with respectful, inclusive cultures experience better morale, team cohesion, and patient outcomes.

What is the goal of GPSA’s Guide Navigating Bullying, Discrimination and Sexual Harrassment?

This guide supports general practice teams in identifying and addressing bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

It helps clarify the difference between inappropriate and unlawful behaviour, explains relevant laws (like the Respect@Work legislation), and provides practical tools and resources for prevention and response.

The guide is structured into four sections:

  1. Introduction to the topic – Definitions, Cultural Sensitivity, Professional Standards and Conduct
  2. Identifying inappropriate and unlawful behaviour – Sexual harassment, recognising workplace bullying and harassment, reasonable work instruction, discrimination and vilification, diversity and inclusion, upward bullying
  3. Managing inappropriate and unlawful behaviour – Prevention and response, ensuring a psychologically safe workplace, legal framework, taking action, investigation
  4. Tools and resources – Checklists, reporting pathways, and support materials
  • Inappropriate behaviour: Undermines workplace culture but may not breach the law (e.g., exclusion, gossip).
  • Unlawful behaviour: Breaches legal protections (e.g., sexual harassment, racial vilification).

The guide outlines both, including legal obligations and practical responses.

Bullying: Repeated, unreasonable behaviour that creates a risk to health and safety.

Harassment: Unwanted conduct based on protected characteristics (can be one-off) that undermines, offends or humiliates.

Look for:

  • Direct actions: Yelling, intimidation, physical contact.
  • Indirect actions: Microaggressions, exclusion, demeaning jokes.

Examples in the guide help illustrate these behaviours and their potential impact.

Subtle but damaging behaviours that can go unnoticed, such as:

  • Gossiping
  • Exclusion
  • Intimidation
  • Undermining others

These behaviours often signal deeper issues and require proactive, attentive leadership.

  • Frequent sick leave
  • Withdrawal or disengagement
  • Anxiety or performance decline
  • Speak up (if safe)
  • Support the affected person
  • Report the behaviour through formal channels
  • Document what you observe
  • Policy and reporting checklists
  • Self-assessment for leaders
  • Webinars, online training, and legal references
  • Contact pathways for support services
  • Model respectful conduct
  • Offer regular training
  • Promote open communication
  • Review and update policies
  • Establish confidential reporting options
  • Culture affects everything, from team morale to recruitment.
  • A culture of safety and respect encourages inclusivity, open dialogue, and early intervention.

When staff undermine or intimidate those in leadership (e.g., ignoring instructions, disrupting meetings and team culture, resisting accountability).

Effective responses include:

  • Include upward bullying in conduct policies
  • Discussing it openly
  • Providing leadership coaching and support
  • Encouraging bystander intervention and HR follow-up

Under positive duty laws, everyone must act when witnessing misconduct.
Intervening:

  • Promotes safety
  • Prevents escalation
  • Reinforces accountability
  • Diversity: Who is represented.
  • Inclusion: Who feels valued and heard.
  • Intersectionality: How overlapping identities shape someone’s experience.

Inclusive practices reduce the risk of exclusion, bias, and conflict.

Inciting hatred or contempt based on race, religion, or ethnicity.

  • It is unlawful and severely damages workplace culture.

No.

Asking about past trauma is not permitted under privacy laws and may re-traumatise the individual.
Instead, use scenario-based questions to assess values, teamwork, and communication skills.

  • Capability issue: The person can’t meet job expectations despite effort.
  • Behavioural issue: The person acts inappropriately regardless of skill.

Each requires different approaches.

No: if done, respectfully, and in line with documented expectations.

Bullying involves intent to harm or intimidate.

  • Call it out respectfully
  • Reinforce expectations
  • Include behavioural standards in induction and training

Self-aware individuals:

  • Recognise their triggers
  • Adjust communication styles
  • Respond constructively
  • Leaders with emotional intelligence foster healthier teams.
  1. Acknowledge the issue
  2. Gather factual evidence
  3. Respond promptly and professionally
  4. Review processes to prevent recurrence

To create a psychologically safe, respectful and inclusive workplace where:

  • Everyone feels safe, and heard
  • Issues are addressed early and appropriately
  • Values are lived, not just listed

Resources

For resources pertaining to the following topics, please visit the webpages

GPSA has developed this content in collaboration with subject matter expert Maureen Kyne.

Click here or use the QR code for more information.

Date reviewed: 19 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Common Employment Issues

This content supplements the detailed information provided on the Registrar Employment page.

Detailed FAQs explaining the Dispute Resolution processs in the NTCER are available here.

Contract templates have been created for use in recruiting full-time and part-time registrars for 2025.1. These are downloadable here.

Detailed FAQs explaining the Fatigue Management policy in the NTCER are available here.

Date reviewed: 16 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Common Payroll Mistakes

At GPSA, we despair at seeing practice time and dollars being spent on payroll errors.

We are all about making your life easier!

We love hearing from practice managers and supervisors wanting to do the right thing by both the practice and the registrar. Getting payroll correct is imperative to the employee/employer relationship as much as the sustainability of the practice.

Payroll errors, particularly the ones in a registrar’s favour, have the potential to turn a once positive relationship on its head. This is not to suggest GP registrars want to be overpaid or rort the system; it simply highlights the importance of getting your calculations correct from the outset and clearly setting out entitlements, rights and responsibilities in the employment contract (see our contract templates here).

Under the NTCER, registrars are required to be released from your practice to attend mandatory education sessions run by their training provider.

The registrar is required to be paid at the base rate for this time, or pro-rata in the case of part-time registrars.

The common error that occurs here is that practices pay their registrar their full base salary and then add the base hourly rate for out-of-practice education on top of this.

Educational release is a component of the AGPT registrar’s base salary, not an additional entitlement.

32/38 = 0.84 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

If your registrar is working less than a 38-hour week, or – more technically -less than an average of 76 hours per fortnight, they are part-time.

Clause 10 of the NTCER clearly explains the definition of full-time versus part-time employment in the context of GP training.

The practice is free to determine a percentage of billings over the minimum stated in the NTCER, however this is a business decision which in any other industry would be made based on an established benefit to the organisation not for the purpose of motivating employee performance.

When you unpack professional behaviours and expectations it is important to remember that, in the early terms of a GP registrar, it takes time to become efficient and proficient. That said, reasonable billing targets can be set as your registrar gains confidence.

If a registrar is not motivated at 44.79% billings, increasing their billings percentage to the same as a fellowed GP (say 60%) will not make them any more or less efficient/ proficient or motivated. Teaching your registrar how to bill appropriately/effectively is all part of their training – the hidden curriculum if you will.

Remember too: superannuation is payable on top of the negotiated percentage, so the true cost to the business is considerably more than the amount the registrar sees in their pay.

Your registrar will attempt to negotiate a higher percentage; some are known to ask for as much as the independent Fellowed GPs working in the practice. Unlike those Fellows, your registrar is an employee, and as such (in stark contrast with independent GPs who bear their own costs) adds to your expenses with payroll tax, workers compensation insurance, annual leave, personal leave and the potential cost to the practice’s reputation.

Negotiation of the percentage you pay must therefore be done with care and in full awareness of risk versus reward. 

The reward is often more than the obvious addition of a clinician to ease your patient’s waiting time for an appointment. GPs-in-Training can make wonderful employees and colleagues, renewing the entire practice team’s passion for learning. 

But knowing what a sustainable percentage of billings might be for your practice is not just a financial imperative – honestly, from the experience of many GPSA members across the years, this is vital for a successful training outcome…

Nothing is more damaging to the practice-registrar relationship than the strain caused by the well-meaning agreement to financial terms during negotiations that soon prove unsustainable.

While we encourage practices to pay above the minimum terms outlined in the NTCER, at the same time we emphasise the need to ensure this does not put the business under financial strain.

When it comes to offering a percentage of billings as high as 60% for a registrar, you need to be mindful of

  1. the additional on-costs the business incurs, and
  2. the cliff this is setting the registrar on, noting that even if they maintain this percentage when they become tenant doctors post-Fellowship – i.e. paying the fairly standard 40% service fee – they will effectively be earning less than they did as a trainee GP.

Without factoring in unreimbursed supervision-related costs, the additional on-costs on 44.79% already take the practice cost to roughly 60%: 

  • Superannuation (11.5%, increasing to 12% in July 2025)
  • Payroll Tax – varies state by state (e.g. VIC = 4.85%)
  • Workers Compensation Insurance – varies by state and size of payroll (eg  0.5%)

The NTCER sets out the minimum you need to pay your registrar. This is a base line from which you have the flexibility as a business to offer more, but only if feasible in terms of sustainability.

GP registrars are entitled to access leave in advance, but not more than what would be accrued in any six month block. In this scenario, the registrar was entitled to pro rata six months, which translates into 5 days personal (sick) leave and 10 days annual leave.

Leave in excess of these amounts is purely a business decision, but we would recommend additional leave being treated as leave without pay to manage the risk of overpayment should a registrar terminate their contract earlier than expected.

If the employment contract is terminated early, the employer is entitled to deduct overpayments from the registrar’s final payment. Clause 6.2 of the NTCER refers to the Fair Work template you can use to minimise any confusion about the rights and responsibilities of both parties by documenting the agreement between you at the time of the leave being granted. All documentation should be provided in reconciliation of the final payment to ensure transparency. 

If in doubt, we encourage you to seek professional accountant assistance to finalise termination payments. 

Date reviewed: 02 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Bullying and Harassment

Training Practices which implement zero tolerance policies for bullying and harassment are happy places to work. Despite workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination being unacceptable and illegal, it occurs in all sectors of the Australian workforce, including general practice. The consequence of this behaviour can derail a victim’s professional and personal life, impact on their health, lead to legal action, and compromise patient safety. We all, cleaner through to practice principal, have a responsibility to adopt a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment.

This page contains a list of relevant resources relevant to your state or Territory, as well as resources offered by GPSA. Below is a list of safe work contacts for all states and territories, along with links to posters that are mandatory to display in the workplace in each jurisdiction, if required.

GPSA Workplace Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy

This template, used by GPSA, will help you create your own workplace discrimination and harassment policy. It covers topics relevant to the following Federal laws:

  • Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)
  • Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
  • Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
  • Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)
  • Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth).

Other Federal and state/territory laws may also apply to your workplace.

Download PDF

Contacts

WorkSafe ACT can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 13 22 81 or visit the website here.

SafeWork NSW can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 13 10 50 or  visit the website here.
Workplace poster download

NT Worksafe can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 1800 019 115 or visit the website here.

Workplace poster download

SafeWork SA can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 1300 365 255. 

Visit the website here.

Worksafe Tasmania can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 1300 366 322.

Visit the website here.

Workplace poster download

Worksafe Victoria can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 1800 136 089 or Visit the website here.

Workplace poster download

WorkSafe Queensland can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

You can call 1300 362 128 or visit the website here.
Workplace poster download

WorkSafe WA can provide advice and help if you are experiencing workplace bullying.

Call 1300 307 877 or visit the website here.
Workplace poster download

Resources

Date reviewed: 02 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Date reviewed: 02 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

This website uses cookies. Read our privacy policy.
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Medicare Provider Numbers

The Medicare provider number (MPN) application process applies to GP registrars when they join or renew placements under the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program. This work now resides with the Access Policy Section in the Rural Access Branch of DOH.

Medicare has advised that the majority of delays relating to MPN applications from GP registrars are due to inconsistencies between the name used on the AGPT program placement documentation and the name used on the MPN application form. Any delays that currently apply to assessing these applications can be significantly reduced if GP registrars always fill in documentation using their name as it appears on their current registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This will ensure the expeditious location and processing of MPN applications when required from GP registrars.

In broad terms, there are two separate application processes that apply when a GP registrar requires Medicare access for a training practice:

  • The AGPT placement process, which satisfies 3GA 6E of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act).
  • The provider number application process.

This process requires the college to submit a complete AGPT placement form to the Access Policy Section of DOH. The placements are always submitted electronically to agptmpnapplications@health.gov.au. The Access Policy Section of Health provides an auto-confirmation that the placement has been received in response to this email.

The placements are assessed within 72 hours of receipt by the Department of Human Services (DHS). In cases where the Access Policy Section cannot process the placement, the College(s) will be contacted for further information. This contact will occur within 72 hours of the Access Policy Section receiving the placement and such subsequent contact generally leads to the placement being processed.

The MPN process for GP registrars is more complicated and warrants careful consideration. It is firstly important to understand that DHS – Medicare does not always require a MPN application to be submitted when a GP registrar is granted a new placement on the AGPT program.

A MPN application must be submitted by a GP registrar when undertaking a new AGPT placement if:

The registrar is subject to section 19AB of the Act and requires a section 19AB(3) exemption from the Access Policy Section of Health for the new placement
The registrar is not subject to section 19AB but they have not held a prior AGPTP placement at the practice location.

In cases where the registrar is not subject to section 19AB, DHS – Medicare can arrange Medicare access for a new semester placement without a formal MPN application if the doctor has had a prior AGPTP placement for the practice. DHS – Medicare can arrange Medicare access without a formal application in these cases because the registrar:

Is not subject to an exclusion on their Medicare eligibility under section 19AB;


The existence of the prior AGPT placement means there is no need to establish a business relationship between the registrar and employer for the purpose of paying Medicare rebates.

In cases where the above two conditions are satisfied, DHS – Medicare can extend Medicare access once the AGPT placement process has been completed and the registrar submits a letter requesting that the extension be processed.

When the GP registrar is seeking Medicare access for the first AGPT semester, they will need to complete an Application for an initial Medicare provider number for a medical practitioner form (HW019).

When the registrar is seeking Medicare access for any subsequent AGPT semester, and it can be established from the rules set out above that an MPN application is required, they will need to complete an Application for an additional location Medicare provider number for a medical practitioner.

MPN Application forms need to be sent to:

By email:

provider.registration@humanservices.gov.au

By mail:

Medicare Australia
Provider Eligibility Section
GPO Box 9822
in your capital city

By fax:

NSW/ACT (02) 9895 3439
QLD (07) 3004 5634
VIC/NT (03) 9605 7984
SA/TAS (08) 8274 9307
WA (08) 9214 8201

In cases where the registrar requires a section 19AB exemption for Medicare access, DHS – Medicare will apply to the Access Policy Section for this as part of the MPN application process. There is no separate application form that needs to be completed by the registrar to ensure this application takes place. DHS – Medicare will be able to identify that a registrar is subject to section 19AB by the information they provide when completing the MPN.

The section 19AB assessment process occurs without contacting the applicant doctor to advise that an exemption application has been received on their behalf. The Access Policy Section does not provide this information to ensure expedient assessment of applications. The Access Policy Section will only contact an applicant registrar if additional information is required to grant the exemption. The registrar is notified in writing once the exemption is granted. DHS is advised immediately so that a provider number can be granted to the registrar.

If a registrar is seeking confirmation of an exemption application, the Access Policy Section can be contacted at 19AB@health.gov.au

 

Q: How will I know my application has been received?

A: Registrars can seek confirmation of receipt of their application by calling 132 150. This contact is effective where the registrar applies using their name as it appears on their AHPRA registration and their application can be found by DHS–Medicare.

 

Q: How long will it take to process my application?

A: It can take up to 28 days to process especially in peak periods.

 

Q: My application has been delayed, why?

A: DHS–Medicare has advised that the majority of delays relating to MPN applications from GP registrars are due to inconsistencies between the name used on the AGPT placement documentation and the name used on the MPN application form. Any delays that currently apply to assessing these applications can be significantly reduced if GP registrars always fill in documentation using their name as it appears on their current registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

 

Q: Is there any way to check the status of my registrar’s Medicare provider number application?

A: There is currently no way to check the status of a specific Medicare provider number application online or by phone. DHS staff can only confirm receipt of the application if the registrar who submitted the application contacts them.

Resources

For resources pertaining to the following topics, please visit the webpages

Date reviewed: 02 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

This website uses cookies. Read our privacy policy.