The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has launched a new interactive tool to help people who have been sexually harassed at work to get a clear guide to the most suitable complaint pathway for them.
The FWC developed the Workplace sexual harassment – what are my complaint options? tool in collaboration with the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Human Rights Commission after acknowledging that the government agencies that respond to workplace sexual harassment each have different powers, processes and potential results.
In Australia workplace sexual harassment complaints can be made to several government agencies, with different rules, time limits and outcomes available from each. In most cases, victims must select only one complaint pathway, but in order to determine the most appropriate pathway, victims are often required to repeatedly give detailed explanations of their experiences.
"This tool can help you decide which agency or agencies may be able to help you," the FWC said.
Simple yes/no and multiple-choice questions explore whether the harassment involved criminal conduct, timeframes, and the type of help being sought, and can assist victims to identify, without the need to repeatedly provide detailed information about their experience, what options are available to them.
Although this new tool is designed to support individuals after a sexual harassment incident has occurred, employers must remember that they have duties under both occupational health and human rights laws to prevent sexual harassment at the source and to maintain systems of work that prevent such harm from occurring.
FWC reminds employers and workers that it offers a free online course on how to reduce the risk of workplace sexual harassment and what to do when it occurs.
Employers can also learn about their duties and responsibilities around preventing sexual harassment and managing complaints at Sexual harassment guide for employers | WorkSafe Victoria and Managing reports of sexual harassment | WorkSafe Victoria.
VTHC’s Women’s Team also has developed resources that address sexual harassment in the workplace, including the Stop Gendered Violence at Work Report which outlines the problem and offers some solutions to ensure that workplaces are safe for women workers. VTHC offers training for HSRs, employers and others interested in safer workplaces, including:
· Safe Respectful Workplaces - We Are Union VTHC
· Positive Duty Training - We Are Union VTHC
· Women's Rights at Work Training - We Are Union VTHC
· Bystander Action Training - We Are Union VTHC
Read more: Workplace sexual harassment – what are my complaint options? | Fair Work Commission