Employers are required by law to take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of discrimination and harassment occurring. A recent national survey by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that sexual harassment in Australian workplaces is widespread and pervasive.
One in three people have experienced sexual harassment at work in the past five years.
Employees experiencing sexual harassment should document the behaviour and keep all records – emails, SMS messages, notes and other evidence – in a safe place outside of work. Whilst often the victim will consider resigning, the best approach is to seek legal advice immediately, in order to understand your options and develop an effective strategy to end the harassment.
Only 17% of people who experienced sexual harassment at work in the last five years made a formal report or complaint about the harassment.
Our employment lawyers are expert at advising employers in relation to appropriate risk-mitigation strategies to minimise the incidence of sexual harassment in the workplace, including development of appropriate policies and procedures and personnel training.
