4.3 Increasing workplace safety
Harmful workplace behaviours, including sexual harassment and bullying, can prevent people from reaching their full potential in the workforce. Sexual harassment in the workplace is unacceptable, however approximately one in three Australians reported having been sexually harassed at work between 2017 and 2022.106 Power disparities in society and the workplace enable sexual harassment, with gender inequality being a key driver.107
1 in 3
Australians report having been harassed at work. Sexual harassment in the workplace is unacceptable.
Women in Australia are more likely than men to experience workplace sexual harassment, with 41 per cent of women compared to 26 per cent of men experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace between 2017 and 2022.108
The NSW Government is committed to eliminating workplace sexual harassment. In October 2023, SafeWork NSW, the State’s work health and safety (WHS) regulator, launched a four-year Respect at Work Strategy on preventing sexual harassment. Through this strategy, NSW workplaces are being supported to take proactive action to prevent sexual harassment.
SafeWork NSW will also undertake greater enforcement action to ensure workplaces address sexual harassment as a WHS issue. The strategy received international recognition by the United Nations International Labour Organization in January 2024.
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