Website will provide employers with resources to prevent abuse from happening
The Australian government has launched the Respect@Work website, which aims to support employers in preventing workplace sexual harassment and in fostering safe and inclusive spaces for employees. The new website, an initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Respect@Work Council, is a one-stop shop that provides free resources, such as good-practice guides, training materials, workplace-assessment tools, information, videos, and guidance, related to sexual harassment in the workplace.
"The Respect@Work website will help employers meet their obligations to provide safe environments for workers, free from sexual harassment, with better access to protection and support," said sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins. "The website delivers a much-needed improvement in the resources and support provided to workers and employers across Australia. It is a vital tool that will help workers and businesses of all sizes understand, identify, prevent, and respond to sexual harassment."
Read more: Why businesses must take active steps to prevent sexual harassment
According to Jenkins, employers should not stop at providing supportive responses when harassment happens – they must also actively prevent it from happening in the first place.
"Sexual harassment is not a women's issue – it is a societal issue, which every person and every workplace can contribute to addressing,” she said. “This website will support all Australians in that goal."
The website's launch is part of the government's response to one of the recommendations of the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report in 2020, which called for an online platform that will "deliver information, education, and resources for workers and employers."
The report made 55 recommendations to governments, the private sector, and the community to prevent workplace sexual harassment. In response, the government introduced its Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022 as part of its commitment in implementing the recommendations.
Read more: Sexual harassment in the workplace: What you need to know
"The Respect@Work report was a landmark moment in the ongoing struggle to ensure that every woman is safe in their workplace and in our community," said Michele O'Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. "Together with the federal government's Respect@Work Bill, this website is another step towards implementing the report's recommendations and making all workplaces safer and more inclusive."
