The Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations, the Honourable Grace Grace, has announced that from September the state’s employers will be required to proactively manage the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace in a nation-leading regulatory reform
New regulations will also require employers to implement a written sexual harassment prevention plan to protect workers from early 2025.
The plans must include any identified risks, control measures being implemented, and the consultation undertaken to develop the plan.
The plans need to be easily understood and accessible to workers and contain details of complaint reporting, investigation, and how people will be informed of results.
The reforms reflect a proactive approach to managing risks of workplace sexual harassment, a key recommendation from the 2020 Respect@Work Report.
“Workplace sexual harassment has no place in Queensland which is why we’re addressing this scourge with the strongest regulations anywhere in Australia,” said Minister Grace. “It’s no longer enough for employers to just hope sexual harassment won’t happen in their workplace – they need a proactive written plan to prevent it.”
Read more Queensland government media release