A Beechworth caravan park and its director have been charged by WorkSafe after allegedly failing to provide a safe workplace that resulted in the sexual harassment of an employee between July 2022 and March 2024.
WorkSafe has charged Bromell Pty Ltd (trading as Beechworth Holiday Park) with one count of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace. Sole director Paul Brown is also charged with failing to take reasonable care and failing to ensure a workplace under their control was safe and without risks to health.
The company is accused of failing to reduce psychological injury by not creating a policies or procedures for reporting, investigating and preventing inappropriate workplace behaviour, and implementing the policy by training all managers, supervisors and employees.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin says of workplace sexual harassment, "This is simply unacceptable behaviour from anyone. All workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by their employer and colleagues.”
Workplace sexual harassment is a serious and persistent problem directly impacting one in three employees. As well as causing significant personal harm, it costs the economy more than $3.8billion per year. Evidence shows that discrimination and gender inequality are the key drivers of workplace sexual harassment.
The Australian Human Rights Commission introduced positive duty regulations in December 2022, moving the legal onus for prevention onto employers. It is not sufficient to just respond to incidents.
A new survey from Our Watch of 1000 employees and 500 workplace leaders of organisation with at least 20 employees reveals that 40% of workplace leaders are not aware of the new legal obligation to prevent workplace sexual harassment and only 76% of leaders know that workplace sexual harassment is illegal. Despite these knowledge gaps, 70% of workplace leaders were highly confident that their workplace is aware of the requirements.
For training to learn about obligations to proactively address the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace -
- VTHC Positive Duty training
- VTHC Safe Respectful Workplaces training
- VTHC Women's Rights at Work training
- VTHC HSR Refresher training
You also can learn more about preventing workplace sexual harassment here –
- HSRs - Gendered Violence and Sexual Harassment - OHS Reps
- Employees - Work-related sexual harassment: Know your rights | WorkSafe Victoria
- Employers - Work-related sexual harassment: Know your responsibilities | WorkSafe Victoria
- Employers - Positive Duty | Preventing Workplace Sexual Harassment
Read more: Caravan park and director charged over sexual harassment of worker | WorkSafe Victoria