Work-related sexual harassment: How do workplaces stack up?

People & Culture: New results released today provide a first look into the initiatives Aussie employers are putting into place since the introduction of the positive duty to provide a safe workplace for all employees.

Over 7,000 medium and large employers, encompassing more than 5 million Australian employees, submitted new data to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) in 2024 on their efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment at work.

This implements Recommendation 42 of the Respect@Work Report, which advised that policy alone is a “minimum” and “reactive” benchmark. Further data collection is necessary to assess active measures and workplace culture shifts.

WGEA’s findings reveal that while many employers have established mechanisms to address work-related sexual harassment and sex discrimination, significant areas still require improvement. A focal point is ensuring that company leaders genuinely understand and advocate for a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace.

Although nearly 99% of employers report having formal policies on workplace harassment and discrimination, WGEA data shows that over a quarter (28%) do not actively monitor its prevalence.

WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge said employer’s new positive duty (introduced at the end of 2022) means taking effective action should begin, but not end, with high quality workplace policy.

“While we are seeing comprehensive policy coverage, this is only a critical first step. Long-term culture change within organisations also requires employees and company leaders to know the policy, understand what’s in it and the part they play in its implementation,” Wooldridge said.

One insight from the Respect@Work Report underscores the importance of leadership’s proactive engagement for sustained change. WGEA’s results show that while 85% of CEOs are actively involved in reviewing, signing off, and communicating these policies, only 55% of Boards share this level of engagement.

The report also sheds light on how these policies are implemented. Nearly all employers (98%) offer structured processes for reporting harassment to HR or designated staff, but fewer (68%) have anonymous disclosure options, crucial given the underreporting of such issues.

Nearly 90% of employers (88%) reported providing training to their workforce, typically delivered at induction or on an annual basis.

“While employers are training employees with the knowledge and understanding to respond to complaints, employers also now have a responsibility to stop sexual harassment before it starts,” Wooldridge said.

“Our results indicate CEOs and Boards can play more of a role in proactively enabling a safe and respectful culture by communicating the employer’s expectations more regularly to all employees.

She further added, “Overall, we are seeing positive progress in relation to the prevention and responses to sexual harassment but there’s more to be done. Future WGEA reporting will be able to monitor progress on this.

“WGEA’s new results expand employers’ understanding of where they are doing well and helps to inform their plans for action to create safer, more inclusive and more respectful workplace environments for all employees.”

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