HR Perspective: Sexual Harassment from a Safety Perspective

In the July 2023 HR Perspective session partners Alanna Fitzpatrick and Dominic Fleeton discussed the significant risk sexual harassment in the workplace poses to the health and safety of workers. While for many organisations, reacting and responding to complaints and incidents is the critical focus.

During the session, they discussed the reforms and the role safety professionals can play in developing prevention plans in respect of this specific safety risk, including:

• Positive duty to “take reasonable and proportionate measures” to eliminate, as far as possible, unlawful sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation at work; 
• Prohibition on workplace environments that are hostile on the ground of sex; 
• New and expanded claims for sexual harassment, including harassment on the ground of sex, hostile work environments and victimisation; 
• New powers of the Australian Human Rights Commission to enforce compliance with the positive duty, including via inquiries and compliance notices; 
• The interaction between the various psychosocial hazard Codes of Practice and the sexual harassment duties; and 
• The role a risk management framework can play in responding to this risk.

Western Australian practitioners - To add this session to your Legal Practice Board CPD Management System (CPDMS) record, please email your Certificate of Attendance and Practitioner ID to cle@klgates.com.