Identifying and managing sexual harassment at work

Did you know that, as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to deal with any sexual harassment at work? To help you understand and manage this risk, WorkSafe has developed a useful toolkit.

Harassment, including sexual harassment, is a common risk at work. It can harm the health of the people affected, as well as wider work relationships and the overall health of the business. As with all workplace risks, addressing sexual harassment is the responsibility of business owners — it’s a requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

One of the toughest challenges for business owners is that sexual harassment is often subtle and undermining. And the longer it exists without intervention, the harder it becomes to deal with. That’s why WorkSafe has developed a toolkit to help businesses and workers deal with the problem.

Sexual harassment (external link) — WorkSafe

All businesses should create a work culture that promotes appropriate behaviour, enables people to speak up easily, and resolves concerns and allegations speedily. To support this vision, WorkSafe’s toolkit offers information and guidance about recognising, preventing, and responding to sexual harassment at work. The toolkit will help you work out whether sexual harassment is occurring and how to manage the health and safety risks associated with it.

Advice for businesses (external link) — WorkSafe

Sexual harassment — Example policy (external link) — WorkSafe