Victoria sets new rules for reporting harassment

Victoria is introducing a harassment reporting scheme that would compel employers to come forward and report incidents of misconduct to authorities. The new rules aim to strengthen the state government’s response to harassment and hold employers accountable for behaviour in the workplace, officials said.

Under the proposed changes, employers will be required to flag incidents of misconduct and notify WorkSafe. “A mandatory incident notification scheme will ensure the onus is not just on victims to report, but that employers have clear obligations – and will mean sexual harassment can’t be swept under the carpet,” said Workplace Safety Minister Ingrid Stitt.

Read more: Sexual harassment can amount to assault

WorkSafe will then coordinate with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission in handling case investigations. The agencies will also work on raising awareness about misconduct and promoting a safe work environment.

A special taskforce consisting of employers, union leaders and labour law experts will lead the reform and welcome feedback on measures for reporting and investigating harassment at work, according to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. The taskforce will also focus on employer responsibilities towards the aggrieved and the accused.

Clarity in the workplace

The provisions of the new reporting scheme are still being ironed out. However, the government and business sectors will be working to bring greater accountability among leaders. For example, Kate Jenkins, the commissioner tasked to investigate the workplace culture in parliament – in light of recent accusations of rape and harassment against political staffers – wants to “assess the extent to which current legislation, policies, processes and practices promote or impede safe and respectful workplaces”.

Read more: Parliament rape allegation should be wake up call for employers

Jenkins’ move sets an example for other workplaces, urging employers to establish what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour among staff. However, more needs to be done, according to workplace experts.

“Many organisations fall down when they do not have absolute clarity about what is right and wrong,” said Rosie Cairnes, vice president of tech firm Skillsoft, who shared her views with HRD.

“The only way to rid an organisation of cultural and moral grey areas, which may lead to bad behaviour or judgement, is to create a rulebook for employees and employers to follow,” Cairnes said. “A formal code of conduct is the tool we recommend and the approach with which we have seen the most success. It creates clear guidelines, sets expectations, reduces ambiguity and gives everyone the clearest view possible of what is right or wrong in their place of work.”