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A new report showed that the prevalence of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces has not markedly changed since 2018, but advocates are optimistic that the country is now at a “turning point” in tackling the issue.
One in three workers reports having experienced sexual harassment in their workplace over the past five years, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s latest survey.
The commission’s new report, Time for respect: Fifth national survey of workplace sexual harassment in Australian workplaces, was conducted with over 10,000 Australians and provided vital information about the scale of workplace sexual harassment and the need for prevention and response initiatives.
A further breakdown of the figures showed that 41 per cent of women had experienced some form of workplace sexual harassment compared with 26 per cent of men in the workforce.
In the last 12 months alone, about one in five Australians, or 19 per cent, have been sexually harassed at work.
The latest figures come four years after the previous national survey found similar rates of experiences of workplace sexual harassment reported, with 33 per cent of respondents having experienced sexual harassment at work from 2012–2018.
Kate Jenkins, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, said the high prevalence of workplace harassment was “unacceptable”.
While Ms Jenkins said that the latest survey results were “disappointing”, she still has cause for optimism.
With the recent passing of the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022, the commissioner stated her belief that the country is at a “turning point” because of its new powers and legal reforms.
“The actions that governments and workplaces around Australia are now taking will have an impact, but it will take time. I urge them to continue implementing change now, so that results of the next national survey may be greatly improved,” Ms Jenkins said.
But despite progress made on the legal front, Ms Jenkins believes that there is more work to be done. “It is concerning that only 18 per cent of sexual harassment incidents are reported,” she commented.
Ms Jenkins further noted that 40 per cent of people who made a formal report said that no changes occurred at their organisation as a result of the complaint.
The most common reasons cited by respondents for not reporting workplace sexual harassment were that the incident was not serious enough (42 per cent ) and it was easier to keep quiet (38 per cent).
The survey also asked about workers’ views on the actions taken by their employer’s action to address workplace sexual harassment.
Survey results showed that only a third of Australian workers think their organisation is doing enough, while over a third of people (37 per cent) thought their organisation should be doing more to prevent and address sexual harassment.
The survey also showed that only half of the respondents said their employers provided information on how to report an incident, and even fewer (two in five) said they had attended training addressing sexual harassment.
Encouragingly, the survey indicated a growing appetite for change. Almost three-quarters of people believed their organisation’s leaders were committed to ensuring a safe working environment free from sexual harassment.
Looking forward, the commissioner said that “laser-like focus on action to prevent sexual harassment will be critical”.
“This year’s survey results clearly demonstrate that more work must be done by organisations and workers to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in Australian workplaces,” Ms Jenkins stated.
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