Despite landmark legal reforms, sexual harassment remains entrenched in Australian workplaces.
New analysis from Burke Mangan Lawyers, specialists in employment law, reveals that one in three workers have experienced sexual harassment in the past five years, yet fewer than one in five victims ever make a formal complaint.
According to the report, 33 per cent of Australians report having experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years, a figure that has changed significantly since 2018.
The data shows that 41 per cent of women, 26 per cent of men and 67 per cent of non-binary workers have been targeted, with particularly high rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers (56 per cent) and people with disability (48 per cent).
The Centre Against Violence (CAV) supports national calls for safer and more respectful workplaces and recognises that the issues highlighted in recent reports reflect the broader challenges the community faces when it comes to respect, equality and safety.
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One way to address these challenges is through education, by equipping people with the confidence and skills to support each other and reduce harassment in the workplace.
CAV CEO Jaime Chubb said harassment is a form of violence that causes real harm.
"When someone chooses to speak up about an experience of harassment or violence, it can be a life-changing moment,” she said.
“How we respond matters.
“Sometimes, behaviours are not overt or intentional.
“It can be a joke, a comment or an innuendo that might seem harmless to one person but feels disrespectful or unsafe to another.
“When these behaviours go unchecked, they can create a workplace culture where disrespect is normalised and more serious harassment becomes accepted.
“Even when something is not meant to cause harm, it can still have a negative impact.
“Recognising this helps create workplaces where everyone feels respected and safe."
CAV delivers training programs designed to help workplaces and communities recognise, respond to and prevent harmful behaviours.
Its Identifying and Responding to Family and Sexual Violence workshop helps people feel confident and capable when a colleague discloses harm.
Using the CARE Model (Calm, Act, Respect, Emotions), participants learn to listen without judgment, validate the person's courage and connect them with the right supports.
CAV's STAND Training – 'Speak. Take Action. Notice. Disrupt.' gives participants practical strategies to notice and safely respond to harmful behaviours.
The program explores what disrespect and harassment can look like, how to take effective action and how to build safer, more respectful workplace cultures.
"Preventing sexual harassment and violence requires more than policies and compliance," Jaime said.
"It takes people who are willing to notice, to listen and to take action when something is not right.
“Every person can make a difference."
Both workshops can be tailored to workplaces that want to strengthen their culture of respect and safety, for more information visit centreagainstviolence.org.au/education/.
