Sexual Harassment In Australian Workplaces

Any picture of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces has to start with under-reporting, because it changes how every internal number should be read.

Most people who experience it do not make a formal complaint. The reasons are consistent and rational. They expect nothing to change. They fear the consequences for their job or their standing. They are unsure whether it was serious enough. Or the person involved is the one they would have to report to.

The practical consequence for an employer is that your incident count measures reporting confidence, not prevalence. A low number can mean a healthy workplace or a workplace where nobody believes reporting is worth it, and the two look identical on a dashboard.

Anonymous survey data, exit interviews and turnover patterns tell you more. The Australian Human Rights Commission publishes national research. This is general information rather than legal advice.

See Sentrient’s sexual harassment course and workplace compliance system.