Steps for improving staff safety from workplace sexual harassment

Policies and legislation regarding sexual abuse in aged care give our senior residents some level of protection and justice when incidents occur. The same should be said for workplace sexual harassment and abuse between staff; but are you sure? Or do you need to revisit safety measures taken by staff to improve their protection?

Sexual harassment in the workplace

• In 2022, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reported one in three people had experienced sexual harassment at work within the last five years
• Fewer than one in five people made a formal report or complaint
• Roughly one-third of people who witnessed or heard about sexual harassment of another person took action to prevent or reduce harm
• Some of those who reported sexual harassment also experienced negative consequences such as being victimised, ignored or resigning from their role

Sexual harassment can take a number of forms, with the most common types of workplace sexual harassment including sexually suggestive jokes or comments and intrusive questions about private lives and physical appearance. Many instances of sexual harassment are verbal rather than physical, or a combination of both.

As a workplace hazard, sexual harassment is also covered under Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws and the most severe actions could be considered an offence under criminal law. Therefore, your organisation has a duty of care to protect staff by reducing or eliminating risk factors. Your existing policies should set the standard for expected behaviours and potential outcomes when an incident is reported. 

But if you’re looking to do more to reduce the risk of sexual harassment and make your staff feel heard, here are some pointers to guide you along the process. 

Encourage staff to report incidents

With just 18% of people making a formal report or complaint regarding sexual harassment, more has to be done to encourage reporting. Even with the framework in place, staff should be reminded about the actions they can take to report sexual harassment, including other witnesses. According to the AHRC, 61% of people who took action – including reporting an incident – helped bring an end to the harassment. Yet as we know, only 33% of witnesses actually intervened or reported an incident. 

Some of the steps you can take to improve reporting numbers are:

• Provide multiple channels for reporting incidents, including via email, in person or in writing
• Promote confidentiality and anonymity
• Speak with your staff to ensure they know how to report incidents if they occurred 
• Provide resources in multiple languages to support your linguistically diverse staff
• Avoid having just one person to report to; an alleged perpetrator could be in a position of power of an individual and you want to reduce stress or anxiety when reporting sexual harassment
• Clarify the process, including what happens once a report is made and what possible outcomes there are
• Offer and encourage regular training and instruction regarding sexual harassment policies

Ultimately, encouragement involves education, reinforcement and understanding. If you provide all three, you’re already on your way to improving workplace sexual harassment safety. 

Take risk reduction seriously

Risk reduction may not seem like a straightforward task when sexual harassment is involved, but by controlling the risks you can better protect your staff. All it takes is a proactive approach ingrained into workplace policy and management standards.

Typically, there is a higher risk of workplace sexual harassment if you have low worker diversity, power imbalances between management and staff, unsupervised staff and leaders with little knowledge of sexual harassment. 

That’s why your managers and team leaders need to be those taking sexual harassment prevention seriously by maintaining professional conduct. They have to understand the impact of harassment and not participate in or encourage sexual comments or behaviours. In addition, you can:

• Develop strong internet and technology policies that disallow inappropriate communication on work accounts
• Display anti-sexual harassment, policies, posters and brochures in common staff areas
• Restrict staff movement in areas where someone could hide or harassment could occur in private
• Improve surveillance in shared spaces and rooms with lockable doors
• Maintain bright lighting in car parks and pathways for shift workers 
• Monitor interactions between staff, contractors, visitors and residents
• Avoid major diversity imbalances in teams
• Track complaint patterns and review instances of high absenteeism, turnover or poor performance

Another option is distributing a staff survey where you can ask about staff safety concerns. By providing an anonymous feedback opportunity, staff who have not previously reported sexual harassment may feel more inclined to give insight into any unsafe spaces, locations of concern or policies that are not providing the right coverage. This insight could help you create a safer and more inclusive workplace.