Government strengthens commitment against sexual harassment

The federal government has pledged to take “serious action” to strengthen laws and systems to eradicate and address sexual harassment, Australia’s Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said in a media release. 

At the recently held Respect@Work Council Forum, the government acknowledged the “seriousness and pervasiveness” of workplace sexual harassment and said that there should be systems to address this problem, Dreyfus said.  

“The Respect@Work Report, and a range of more recent reports and inquiries, continue to highlight the unacceptable levels of workplace sexual harassment in Australia,” Dreyfus said. “No industry or profession is unaffected – we all grapple with this issue, and we all have the opportunity to be part of the solution.”

Statistics on workplace harassment

Citing the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) 2018 national survey on sexual harassment, Dreyfus said that one in three people experienced sexual harassment at work in the five years to 2018, which includes almost two in five women and over one in four men.

“The Commission also found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability and members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely on average to experience workplace sexual harassment,” Dreyfus said.

Aside from the harm and trauma that sexual harassment causes individuals, Dreyfus said that workplace harassment costs the Australian economy approximately $3.5 billion a year. 

Dreyfus also said that the AHRC will undertake its fifth national survey over the coming months, which will help the government establish prevention efforts and strategies to support those affected by sexual harassment.

Addressing workplace harassment

Dreyfus said that a step toward resolving workplace harassment should include the legal system’s creation of a framework to ensure the protection and care of all employees.              

“I am proud to be part of a Government that is committed to protecting women from sexual harassment and gender-based violence,” Dreyfus said. “Our systems should protect and support victim-survivors and ensure they can access the protections of our legal system.”

The Attorney General also highlighted that the government would continue to enact the Sex Discrimination Act, which prohibits sexual harassment at work and instituted the task of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner within the AHRC. 

Dreyfus also said that in terms of legislative amendments, the Federal Government is committed to ensuring a positive obligation on employers to stop sexual harassment in the workplace in the Sex Discrimination Act. He also said that the government would also modify the Fair Work Act to:

• Explicitly prohibit sexual harassment
• Enable unions or other organisations to bring sex discrimination legal action on behalf of complainants
• Establish cost protections for complainants

“These reforms will improve workplace protections for sexual harassment and improve access to justice for those who experience unlawful sex discrimination,” Dreyfus said. 

During the forum, the Attorney General said that the government pledged to invest more than $35 million over four years towards the Respect@Work implementation, including $24 million to adequately fund Working Women’s Centres in Australia. 

The funding would also enable the AHRC to create a “one-stop-shop and put in place a disclosure process to assist those who have experienced sexual harassment, to hear and confidentially document their historical disclosures,” according to Dreyfus.

“Government funding will support the Commission to identify practical strategies to strengthen the way we prevent and respond to sexual harassment at work, as well as support those who have experienced sexual harassment,” he added. 

The government also pledged to prioritize fully implementing the Respect@Work Report recommendations to improve workplace protections for all Australians.