Health & Safety
New national work health and safety guidance has been developed by Safe Work Australia.
The new resources provide practical guidance to businesses to help them prevent workplace sexual harassment, violence, and aggression.
Under Australia’s model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, employers must proactively manage risks to health and safety arising from work. This includes both physical and mental health.
Preventing workplace sexual harassment
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s report on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces highlighted how prevalent sexual harassment is and the harm it is causing.
But there is a lot that employers can do beyond responding to complaints.
WHS duties require employers do everything they reasonably can to prevent sexual harassment from occurring at work, just like other risks to health and safety. Every organisation should implement a sexual harassment policy to ensure all staff understand their obligations and that in the event of an allegation, management know exactly what steps to take. Provision of regular training and information to all staff is another critical mitigation strategy.
The new Guide: Preventing workplace sexual harassment is the first comprehensive WHS guidance in Australia to focus on preventing sexual harassment. The guidance supports business and organisations to meet their WHS duties with practical steps to identify risks and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
SafeWork Australia’s information sheets for small businesses and workers on this important topic:
AB Phillips People Risk Solutions team have specialised staff on call to assist you and your organisation navigate areas such as risk management, policy creation and interpreting current legislation.