New report shows employees aren't willing to speak up when they experience, or witness harassment at work
Workplace sexual harassment remains prevalent in workplaces with 18% of employees saying they experienced it in the past 12 months, according to new data from the Diversity Council Australia (DCA).
DCA's 2025–2026 Inclusion@Work Index survey, which polled 3,000 workers, revealed that sexual harassment at work happened across a "broad spectrum of behaviours."
The most common form was getting comments about physical appearance (38%), followed by intrusive questions about private life (28%) and sexually suggestive comments or jokes (28%).
One in five employees who experienced sexual harassment said it came in the form of inappropriate physical contact (20%), as well as unwelcome touching, hugging, or kissing (16%).
There are other victims, however, who said they experienced sexually explicit behaviours or image-based behaviour, such as:
- Sexual gestures or sexual exposure (8%)
- Requests or pressure for sex or sexual acts (9%)
- Sharing or threatening to share intimate images or content (8%)
- Receiving sexually explicit content online (8%)
- Receiving sexually explicit pictures, posters, or gifts at work (7%)
"Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected at work. However, despite decades of action, our findings show that sexual harassment remains a critical issue for Australian organisations," said DCA CEO Catherine Hunter in a statement.
Responses to sexual harassment at work
The workforce's responses to sexual harassment in the workplace also remain limited, with 22% of the respondents saying they did not report their experience to their employer.
Another 24% of employees said they wouldn't take action if they witnessed workplace sexual harassment, and just 33% said they would check in with the target of the harassment if it occurred.
These responses come amid "rare" formal actions from employers when they receive sexual harassment reports, according to the findings.
Just 10% of employees who reported their experience said their employer took disciplinary action against the harasser, such as issuing a formal warning or dismissal.
Informal responses are more common, with 14% of employees saying their employer apologised to them, while 13% said their employer spoke informally to the harasser.
Some 10% of victims also experienced "negative consequences" after reporting their experience.
"Overall, these findings show that many employer responses remain informal, limited, or inconsistent," the report read.
Preventing workplace sexual harassment
Hunter said their findings indicate that preventing sexual harassment is about workplace culture.
According to the report, just 13% of employees in inclusive workplace cultures reported experiencing sexual harassment, much lower than the 28% of employees in non-inclusive organisational climates.
"This data tells us that sexual harassment prevention is not just about individual behaviour, it's about workplace culture," Hunter said.
"We know that inclusion at work is key to minimising organisational risk – our research consistently shows workers in inclusive teams are significantly less likely to experience discrimination and harassment."
Meaningful change will require inclusive environments where people feel supported to speak up and harmful behaviour is challenged early, Hunter added.
Being an 'active bystander'
The DCA partnered with Our Watch to develop a resource on how to interrupt, de-escalate, and prevent sexual harassment at work.
The resource, Being an Active Bystander, outlines actions that employees can take in order to prevent and stop harassment in the workplace.
Among those actions include subtle ones such as making a light comment to interrupt harmful behaviour, or showing disapproval through body language.
It also recommends checking in with the victim, or offering them advice and support.
The guidance also offered direct actions that employees can take.
"Direct actions include telling the harasser to stop, speaking with the perpetrator later about their behaviour, supporting the target to make a report, reporting the incident to the employer, or offering to provide a witness statement," it read.
Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch, said they're proud to work with the DCA to drive evidence-based protection for employees.
"Sexual harassment is not inevitable - it's preventable. By strengthening inclusion and supporting active bystander behaviour, workplaces can shift cultures that allow harassment to persist," Kinnersly said in a statement.
