A Day in the Life of Jackie Manager Governance and Advice

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Jackie Lyne and I’m the Manager of the Governance and Advice Team at Anti-Discrimination NSW. I started my career as a solicitor in Manchester, before moving to Sydney more than 20 years ago. Before joining ADNSW I worked in legal and dispute resolution roles in the public and private sectors.  

Why did you join Anti-Discrimination NSW?

I’ve always been interested in human rights and social justice, so when an opportunity to join the Enquiries and Conciliation Team at ADNSW came up, I jumped at the chance. I started as a conciliator in 2006, investigating and helping to resolve individual complaints of discrimination, before moving into a legal/policy role a few years later. 

I’ve been lucky to be able to take advantage of flexible work policies, including part-time work, job sharing and working from home, long before COVID made these things commonplace. This flexibility helped our family to manage the juggle as working parents, particularly as much of our extended family is still based in the UK.

Can you describe your role? 

I manage a small team that researches and advises on discrimination issues and policy. This can involve working with cross-government committees and working groups to find ways to reduce discrimination, vilification and sexual harassment, or preparing submissions about how changes to the law could affect people’s rights under anti-discrimination law. We provide advice to ADNSW’s President and Board, and work closely with other teams at ADNSW to ensure staff across ADNSW understand and comply with relevant policies and legislation.

My team also manages applications for exemptions and certifications under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. The Act allows these to be granted to allow favouring certain groups of people to improve access to certain jobs, programs, services or facilities. Exemptions and certifications are generally granted when an applicant can show that the proposed action will promote equal opportunity or benefit one of the groups listed in the Act that has experienced discrimination.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s important to me that my workplace aligns with my personal values, and I enjoy working with my talented team doing work that helps to protect people’s rights, prevent discrimination and create opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

What keeps you busy outside of work?

As a working mum with two school-aged kids, life is always busy. My sons have full sporting and social calendars, and I need to keep fit and active to keep up with them. I love to swim, ride my bike and do weights training. When I have some down time, I like to read, or listen to music and podcasts. I’m also a puzzle fan, and love Sudoku and cryptic crosswords. I’ve recently been bitten by the Wordle bug and compete with my husband and brother-in-law to see who can get the word first and in the fewest guesses!