Background

The ACTU welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect@Work) Bill (the Bill) to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The Bill implements some of the key recommendations of the Respect@Work Report published by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) following its National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces. The ACTU is in full support of the Bill, which delivers on crucial reforms to anti-discrimination legislation that were recommended by the Respect@Work report and advocated for by unions and others for many years. In particular, the introduction of a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment, and the ability for the Commission to enforce that positive duty represents a huge paradigm shift that should finally start to see the burden of sexual harassment shifted from individuals to employers, duty holders and the Commission. The significance of this for workers in all industries across the country cannot be overstated. Almost two in five women (39%) and just over one in four men (26%) had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years according to earlier research by the Commission.  Yet only 17% of people who experience sexual harassment will make a complaint. Those who choose not to do so because they fear the impact that complaining will have on their reputation, career prospects and relationships within their community or industry.

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