Is This Normal? Red Flag Checklist
Undermining, gaslighting, being sidelined, bullying. Tick what's happened and find out what it might mean.
Take a lookWorkplace rights for Australian women, in plain English
DifficultToo emotionalNot leadership materialPart-time now, so…
Women get put in boxes at work. This is where you break out.
She Breaks Boxes is the plain-English workplace rights toolkit for Australian women. Practical information, scripts and paper-trail tools for the moment work starts feeling off. We read the relevant legislation and official guidance, then turn it into tools you can actually use.
Run a business or work in HR? See what we're building for workplaces.
Why this exists
Built by a woman who got boxed in at work. She couldn't find a way out, so she built one.
When something at work didn't feel right, I went looking for help. I found legal jargon. I found "see a lawyer" and "ask your union". I found plenty of information that technically answered the question and practically answered nothing.
What I couldn't find was the step before all of that. A plain-English place to work out what was happening, what it might mean and what I could do next. So I built it.
I've spent more than 15 years in communications, media and journalism, translating complicated information for the people it affects. I'm also a mum of two. She Breaks Boxes puts both of those jobs to work for you.
Founder, She Breaks Boxes
What we do
We do the digging, so you don't have to.
We find the gaps
The space between "am I imagining this?" and "see a lawyer" is where most women get stuck. That's where we work.
We translate the jargon
Legislation, awards and workplace policy, rewritten in words you'd actually use.
We put it in one place
No more forty open tabs and thousands of lines of legislation. The essentials, checked and organised.
We give you the next move
Free and paid tools, scripts and guides to help you understand it, explain it and plan your next steps.
The numbers
Most women never complain. They carry it instead.
1 in 2
Australian mothers reported discrimination at work during pregnancy, parental leave or on their return. AHRC, 2014
91%
of those mothers never made a formal complaint. AHRC, 2014
32%
of them looked for another job or resigned. AHRC, 2014
60%+
of mothers back from leave said they feel excluded, with their opinions ignored and workloads unmanageable. UniSA national review, 2024
41%
of women experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years, compared with 26% of men. AHRC, 2022
Every one of those numbers is a woman who was good at her job and didn't know what to do next. We'd like her to have a third option between putting up with it and walking out: information, words and a plan.
Sources: Australian Human Rights Commission, Supporting Working Parents national prevalence survey (2014); Potter et al., National review: work conditions and discrimination among pregnant and parent workers in Australia (University of South Australia, 2024); Australian Human Rights Commission, Time for Respect (2022).
How it works
Spot it. Say it. Save it.
Every tool on this site follows the same three moves.
1
Spot it
Recognise what's happening. Patterns, power, the comment that wasn't just a comment.
2
Say it
Know what to ask, write or request. The email, the meeting, the follow-up.
3
Save it
Keep a clear, dated record of what happened and what was said. Before you need it.
Free tools, coming soon
Start with a tool, not a lecture.
Put It In Writing
Five calm, short emails for when something's off. Conversations evaporate. Emails don't.
Take a lookThe Paper Trail Starter
A one-page incident log and a guide to keeping records that hold up.
Take a lookComing soon
The first guide
The founding list opens soon. Its members get first access, and help decide what we build next.
The Difficult Woman Guide
"Difficult", "emotional", "not a team player". How workplace labels work, and how to respond without making it worse.
Also in development: the Back to Work Kit and the Back to Work Email Script Pack.
Help shape this
Tell us what actually happened.
Ten minutes, confidential, no workplace names. Your answers decide which tools we build first and help make the case for better support for women at work.
For business owners and HR
Most workplace problems start as a missed conversation.
Since December 2022, employers have had a positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination and sexual harassment, as far as possible. Waiting for a complaint is no longer the plan.
Plenty of managers want to get pregnancy, leave and return to work right. They just haven't been shown how. We're building plain-English resources and training for workplaces that want to learn.
Fair questions
You might be wondering
Why shouldn't I just ask ChatGPT?
You can. AI is very useful for drafting. It can also sound extremely confident when the jurisdiction, the source or the context is wrong. And it has read a lot about workplaces, but never sat in one. It has never walked into a meeting and known, from who sat where, that the decision was already made. Use AI to help you draft. Use us when you need someone who's been in the room.
Why women? Men face discrimination too.
Yes, they do, and it matters. The numbers still lean one way. In the national review, 49% of mothers reported discrimination around pregnancy, parental leave or their return, compared with 27% of fathers and partners. She Breaks Boxes is pro-women. It isn't anti-anyone.
Is this legal advice?
No. Everything here is general information, written to help you understand what might be happening and get to the right help sooner. For legal advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer or a community legal centre. Your union or the Fair Work Ombudsman can also help you understand your rights.
Start here
Where are you right now?
Pick the line that sounds most like you. Each one points to the most useful first step.
"Something keeps happening and I can't tell if it's a thing."
Start with the free Red Flag Checklist to put a name to what's happening. Then start a record. Whether it's one serious incident or small things adding up, a dated note made at the time is far stronger than memory.
"I'm going back after leave and want to change my hours."
Put the request in writing, with the right details, and track the response deadline.
"I'm pregnant and haven't told work yet."
Your rights start before you announce. A pregnancy-at-work guide is in development. Join the waitlist and start a record now.
"They've started calling me difficult."
Labels do work. The Difficult Woman Guide explains how, and how to respond in writing.
"I run a business or work in HR, and I want to get this right."
Good. The same gaps that hurt employees create risk for employers. See what we're building for workplaces.
"I think I need proper advice."
Go now. Some time limits are short, including 21 days for some dismissal claims. These services are free to contact.
Free tools, coming soon
Three free tools. One for each move.
Spot it, say it, save it. Start with the checklist, and it'll point you to the other two. They're being finished and checked now. When they're ready, everything arrives by email, so nothing lives on a work device.
Is This Normal? The Workplace Red Flag Checklist
Undermining, gaslighting, office politics, the unwritten culture, pregnancy and caring, bullying. Tick what's happened, then find out what it might mean and what to do next.
Put It In Writing
Five short, calm emails for when something's off: Clarify, Confirm, Request, Raise and Pause. Conversations evaporate. Emails don't.
The Paper Trail Starter
A one-page incident log and a short guide to keeping records that hold up. The thing you'll wish you'd started three months ago.
A taste of the checklist
Tick anything that's happened to you at work in the last 6 to 12 months.
- You're told a conversation "never happened", when you're sure it did.
- Decisions about your work are made in meetings you weren't invited to.
- Your feedback has gone from specific to vague: "attitude", "fit", "not a team player".
- While you were on leave, your role was changed, restructured or given away.
- You've been told to "toughen up" or "be one of the boys" after something that wasn't okay.
One tick doesn't prove anything. A cluster of ticks, or one serious one, is worth taking seriously. And worth writing down.
General information, not legal advice. If you've been dismissed, you generally have only 21 days to lodge a claim with the Fair Work Commission. Get help early: see Where to get help.
Guides
The first guide is being built now.
Each one is checked against official sources and reviewed before release. The waitlist opens soon.
The Difficult Woman Guide
"Difficult", "emotional", "not a team player". How workplace labels operate and how to respond.
- Spotting when a label is doing a job
- Responses that keep things factual
- Recording it without escalating it
Back to Work Email Script Pack
Twelve ready-to-adapt emails for the first 90 days back from leave.
- Confirming your return date and hours
- Following up a conversation in writing
- Asking where your role has landed
Back to Work Kit
Your rights, your requests and a plan, in one place.
- What you're entitled to come back to
- Requests that include the right details
- What to do if the answer is no
Price in AUD and indicative until launch. General information only, not legal advice.
The Workplace Reality Check
What actually happens when something at work doesn't feel right?
A confidential, de-identified survey about what actually happens when work doesn't feel right. About ten minutes. Every question except the first is optional.
Please don't include names, employer names, exact workplace locations or other details that could identify you. If you choose to give an email address, it will be handled separately from the survey analysis where technically possible. We'll only quote you if you say yes at the end, and never in a way that identifies you.
For workplaces
For business owners, managers and HR who want to get it right.
Pregnancy, parental leave, the return to work, a flexible work request. These are ordinary parts of working life. When they go wrong, it's rarely the event. It's that nobody showed the manager what good looks like.
Why it matters now
Since December 2022, employers covered by the federal Sex Discrimination Act have had a positive duty to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination and sexual harassment. That means acting before a complaint, not after. The Australian Human Rights Commission can now monitor and enforce compliance (AHRC, positive duty).
Most small businesses don't have an HR team. They have a busy owner, good intentions and a Google search. We translate the obligations into things a manager can actually do on Monday.
In development
What we're building for workplaces
Manager briefings
Short, plain-English guides for the conversations managers most want to get right: responding to a pregnancy announcement, keeping in touch during leave, welcoming someone back, a flexible work request.
Return to work toolkit for employers
Templates and checklists to plan a return well, respond to requests in time and keep a clear record on both sides.
Workshops for teams
Online sessions for small businesses, councils and community organisations, built on the same Spot it, Say it, Save it framework.
Practical
Built for owners and managers without an HR department.
Evidence-led
Grounded in Fair Work and AHRC guidance, reviewed before release.
Fair to both sides
Clear records and clear conversations protect the business and the employee.
General information only, not legal or HR advice.
About
Finally, someone explained it like a normal person.
She Breaks Boxes exists so no woman has to work out her workplace rights alone, at 10pm, across forty browser tabs.
We're a digital education business for Australian women navigating workplace rights, power and the moments in between, and for the workplaces that want to get it right. We create free and paid resources that explain what's happening, give you the words, and help you plan what comes next.
The name
Why boxes?
Because women get put in them at work. Too ambitious. Not ambitious enough. Too emotional. Too blunt. "Not a team player." Part-time now, so probably not interested in that promotion.
Most of those boxes are never written down. They show up in who gets the project, who gets the pay rise and whose feedback is "a bit much". Once you can see the box, you can decide what to do about it. That's the whole idea.
Founder's note
I built the thing I was looking for.
When something at work didn't feel right, I went looking for help. I found legal jargon. I found "see a lawyer", which is good advice and a big step when you're not even sure what's happening yet. I found "ask your union", which is great if you're in one. And I found plenty of information that technically answered the question and practically answered nothing.
I've spent more than 15 years in communications, media and journalism, including leading a communications team. My whole career has been the same job: take something complicated, work out who it affects, and explain it so people can actually use it.
Then I became a mum of two, and found out that understanding a system professionally and navigating it personally are two very different sports.
I'm not a lawyer, and I'll never pretend to be. I know how workplaces run, how decisions get written down, and when it's time to bring in someone with a practising certificate. She Breaks Boxes is the step before that, and the support around it.
Founder, She Breaks Boxes
Our logic
Three questions. We answer the hard one.
Almost every woman who contacts a lawyer, a union or Fair Work has already asked herself three questions.
- 1"Am I imagining this?" Plenty of content stops here, with validation.
- 2"Surely they can't do that?" Official guidance answers this, in language written for lawyers.
- 3"Okay. What do I actually do?" This is where she's usually on her own, and where She Breaks Boxes earns its place.
Everything we make follows three moves: Spot it. Say it. Save it.
How we decide
Our values
Useful over impressive
If a woman can't use it on Monday, we don't make it.
Evidence over performance
Every claim checked against Fair Work, the Australian Human Rights Commission or the legislation. No rage bait.
Private by design
Tools you can use without telling anyone where you work. We never name employers or people, and never ask you to.
Pro-woman, not anti-anyone
Pregnancy, leave and caring are ordinary parts of working life. Good workplaces make room for them, and we help them do it.
Family first
We keep school hours, Monday to Wednesday. It would be a strange business that helped women navigate workplaces that don't make room for families, then didn't make room for its own.
Bold, never reckless
Direct about power and unfairness. Careful about facts, privacy and what we don't know.
Where it's going
Built in stages
- 1Now. Free tools, the Workplace Reality Check survey and the first three guides.
- 2Next. A library of practical guides, each reviewed for accuracy, built from what women tell us they need.
- 3Later. Resources, workshops and training for employers, councils and community organisations, so the tools reach women who'd never find them on their own.
We build the next stage once the one before it works.
Our promise
Core tools stay free. Paid guides fund them.
Our limits
General information, never legal advice. We point you to proper help when you need it.
Our base
Designed and run from the Sunshine Coast in regional Queensland, for women wherever they work.
FAQs
Fair questions, straight answers.
Why shouldn't I just ask ChatGPT or another AI tool?
You can. AI is very useful for drafting. It can also sound extremely confident when the jurisdiction, the source or the context is wrong.
It has read a lot about workplaces, but never sat in one. It has never walked into a meeting and known, from who sat where, that the decision was already made. It has never had to decide whether to send the email tonight or sleep on it. It has never come back from parental leave to find its desk moved and its job "evolved".
Most of what's online about workplace rights is written in formal, legal language, and that's what AI learns from. So you tend to get the formal answer. Often accurate. Not always. And not much use at 10pm when your stomach's in a knot.
I've lived the human side of work: the kindness, the not-so-kind, the politics, the unwritten rules, and the things people say in corridors that never make it into an email. I know what the official information says, where to check it, and how it tends to play out in a real office with real people.
We show our sources, keep information and advice separate, and build tools around the actual workplace decision you're trying to make. Use AI to help you draft. Use us when you need someone who's been in the room.
Why women? Men face discrimination too.
Yes, they do, and it matters.
The numbers still lean one way. In Australia's national review of pregnancy and return to work, one in two mothers (49%) reported discrimination at work during pregnancy, parental leave or on their return. For fathers and partners it was 27% (Australian Human Rights Commission 2014). Women are also far more likely to experience workplace sexual harassment: 41% of women compared with 26% of men in the past five years (Australian Human Rights Commission 2022).
She Breaks Boxes is pro-women. It isn't anti-anyone. Plenty of what we make is useful to any worker, and our work with businesses is about getting it right for the whole team. Good workplaces are good for everyone in them.
Is this legal advice?
No. Everything here is general information, written to help you understand what might be happening and get to the right help sooner. For legal advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer or a community legal centre. Your union or the Fair Work Ombudsman can also help you understand your rights. Our Where to get help page lists them.
Will anyone at work find out I've used this?
Not from us. We never ask for your employer's name and we'll never contact your workplace. Use a personal email, not your work one, and a personal device if you can. Our tools are built so you can use them quietly.
Can you look at my situation or take on my case?
We can't advise on individual matters or represent anyone. What we can do is help you get organised: understand the language, write things down, and walk into a conversation with a lawyer, union or the Fair Work Ombudsman with a clear record in hand. That usually makes the help you get faster and better.
Something's happening at work. Where do I start?
Go to Start here, then grab the free Red Flag Checklist and Paper Trail Starter. Whether it's one serious incident or small things adding up, a dated note made at the time is far stronger than memory. Then use our tools to understand it, explain it and plan your next steps.
Is it only for mums?
No. Pregnancy, parental leave and return to work are a big focus because that's where the numbers are hardest to ignore. If something at work doesn't feel right, whatever your stage of life, the tools are for you.
I'm a manager, business owner or in HR. Can you help us?
Yes, and we're glad you asked. Most workplace problems start as a conversation nobody was shown how to have. We're building plain-English resources and training for workplaces that want to get it right. Register your interest on our For workplaces page.
Why "She Breaks Boxes"?
Because women get put in boxes at work. Too ambitious. Not ambitious enough. Too emotional. Too blunt. "Not a team player." We help you see the box for what it is, and decide what to do about it. Spot it. Say it. Save it.
Sources: Australian Human Rights Commission, Supporting Working Parents (2014); Australian Human Rights Commission, Time for Respect (2022).
Contact
Get in touch.
For partnerships, media, employers and community organisations, or questions about the tools.
We can't give advice on individual situations. If you need help with your own circumstances, see where to get help.
Where to get help
When you need more than a tool.
These services are free to contact. If you think you've been dismissed, act quickly: some claims have a 21-day time limit.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Pay, leave, flexible work requests and workplace rights under the national system.
13 13 94
fairwork.gov.auFair Work Commission
Unfair dismissal, general protections and some flexible work disputes.
fwc.gov.auAustralian Human Rights Commission
Information and complaints about sex, pregnancy and family responsibilities discrimination.
1300 656 419
humanrights.gov.auQueensland Human Rights Commission
Discrimination and sexual harassment complaints under Queensland law.
1300 130 670
qhrc.qld.gov.auQueensland Government or council worker?
You're likely covered by Queensland's state industrial relations system, not Fair Work. Disputes go to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
oir.qld.gov.auCommunity legal centres
Free legal help, including employment law, depending on where you live.
Find one near youIf you are in danger, call 000. For confidential support about sexual harassment or assault, 1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732, 24/7. For crisis support, Lifeline is on 13 11 14.
Privacy and disclaimer
Plain-English privacy
What we collect
Only what you choose to give us: your email address, optional first name and postcode, and any survey answers or messages you send.
Why
To send you the tools and updates you asked for, reply to your messages, decide which tools to build, and report combined, de-identified survey results, for example in funding applications or articles.
What we never do
We never sell your information. We never publish anything that identifies you, and only quote you, without identifying details, if you've said yes. Please don't include names of employers or people in anything you send.
Who handles it, and where
Netlify hosts this website. Netlify is based in the United States, so its servers may record technical details such as your IP address outside Australia.
Our form and email providers (to be confirmed before launch) will receive what you submit in our forms. We'll name them here once they're set up. Some may store data outside Australia.
Google Fonts supplies the fonts on this site. Your browser requests them from Google, which receives your IP address.
How long we keep it
Only as long as we need it for the reason you gave it to us. Survey answers are kept in de-identified form. If you unsubscribe and ask us to delete your details, we will.
Your choices
Unsubscribe from any email at any time. To see, correct or delete what we hold about you, use the contact form and choose "Privacy request". If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, tell us first. If we can't fix it, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.
Disclaimer
Everything on this site is general information, not legal or financial advice. It doesn't take your circumstances into account. Laws change and different rules apply to different employers, including state public sector employers. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer, your union or one of the services on our help page.
Last updated October 2026.