Factors that can indicate, increase the likelihood and/or impact of sexual harassment: | Mitigation measures |
Low worker diversity e.g. the workforce is dominated by one gender, age group, race or culture. Concentration of men in management, leadership or board. Men being promoted more often than women | Have strategies for achieving gender equality and diversity and inclusion targets. Have gender equality in leadership including at the board. Address pay gaps and other inequities based on gender, age, race or culture. Regular segmented reporting on diversity. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
| Sex-segregated workplaces (where work is typically or historically performed by men or women) and workplaces with rigid workplace norms based on gender stereotypes e.g. a person of particular gender routinely organise catering, prepare rooms for meetings and clean up after events. | Have strategies for achieving gender equality and diversity and inclusion targets. Break down gender stereotypes at work. Provide unconscious bias training. Set expectations for, and hold accountable, middle management who work with front line workers. |
| Power imbalances e.g. workplaces where one gender holds most of the management and decision-making positions. | Have strategies for achieving gender equality and diversity and inclusion targets. Have gender equality in leadership including at the board. Regular reporting on diversity, including recent hiring and promotions. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
| Workplaces that value profit over protecting workers. | Build trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Take into account the prevention of sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct when setting KPIs. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter Wording and Risk Register examples. |
| Workplaces organised according to a hierarchical structure. | Ensure board members and leaders role model appropriately. Set expectations for, and hold accountable, middle management who work with front line workers Have greater transparency over the prevalence of sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct and how the Organisation is dealing with this conduct and learning from incidents. Consider how you will use NDAs and confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements so as not to prevent the person impacted from telling their story, or preclude the Organisation from monitoring emerging systemic issues. Sexual harassment sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter wording and Risk register examples. |
A workplace culture that supports or tolerates sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct, including where lower level, harmful forms of harassment are accepted. For example, small acts of disrespect and inequality, casual sexism and hostile workplace environments are ignored and reports of inappropriate behaviours are not taken seriously. This conduct can escalate to other forms of harassment, aggression and violence. | Ensure board members and leaders role model appropriately. Set expectations for, and hold accountable, middle management who work with front line workers. Implement human-centred and trauma-informed processes and systems for managing reports of sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct. Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting, including education on safe early intervention techniques and how to safely exercise bystander responsibilities. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter wording and Risk register examples. |
| Use of alcohol in a work context, and attendance at conferences and social events as part of work duties, including overnight travel. | Have in place and implement a responsible service of alcohol policy. Consider holding events that are not focused on alcohol consumption. |
| Workers who work in isolated places with limited supervision, in restrictive spaces like cars, at residential premises or employer-provided accommodation, or where limited help and support is available. | Increase the number of supervisors in remote locations. Improve safety systems in remote locations such as remote surveillance, alarms and lighting. |
| Working from home which may provide an opportunity for covert sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct to occur online or through phone communication. | Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Regular reporting e.g. on complaints, employee assistance calls by category. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
| Worker interactions with clients, customers or members of the public (either face-to-face or online) which may give rise to third-party sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct. | Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Educate third-party providers about the Organisation’s culture of prevention. Refuse to deal with third parties that breach the Organisation’s policies. Regular reporting e.g. on complaints, employee assistance calls by category. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
Poor understanding among workplace leaders of the nature, drivers and impacts of sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct. | Ensure board members and leaders role model appropriately. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy and training. |
| High-pressure workplaces, with an attitude that workers need to let off steam to deal with the pressures of work and certain behaviours don’t need to be taken seriously. | Build trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Take into account the prevention of sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct when setting KPIs. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting. |
Short-term contracts with a reliance on reputation and word-of-mouth for securing the next job, for example individuals in the fashion and entertainment industries and junior doctors completing their training. | Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter Wording and Risk Register examples. |
Some areas in or around the workplace are isolated, poorly lit or intimidating to enter. | Audit such areas and improve safety in those areas. |
| Sexualised or sexist materials are on display (e.g. posters, calendars, screensavers). | Build trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Set expectations for, and hold accountable, middle management who work with front line workers. |
Lack of privacy or security for workers using bathrooms or change rooms. | Make bathrooms and change rooms private and secure. |
| In-home work (such as providing childcare, nursing, cleaning services, aged or disability care) with direct client contact and little or no oversight. | Audit workers performing such work to identify the risks; consult with workers about how to address the risks. Sexual harassment policy and training. |
| Male-dominated customer or client base. | Seek to improve the diversity of clients the organisation services. Set out expectations of working together with both parties. |
| Small businesses where confidentiality and confidence to raise issues may be difficult to achieve. | Engage a third-party provider that can receive complaints and provide regular reports. Provide anonymous reporting options. Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting, including education on safe early intervention techniques and how to safely exercise bystander responsibilities. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter Wording and Risk Register examples. |
| A cohort of young workers (including under 18 years), interns, apprentices, graduates or other junior workers. | Audit the risks associated with such workers and change their working environment in response to those risks. For example, limit the extent to which such workers are permitted to work long hours. Sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct policy, training and reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard, Charter wording and Risk register examples. |
| A cohort of women from migrant and non-English speaking backgrounds, people on employer-sponsored visas, First Nations women, women with disabilities and LGBTIQA+. | Audit the risks specific to these workers and implement control measures in response to those risks. Specifically reference these groups in training materials. |
| A cohort of casuals, contractors, short-term workers, temporary workers and freelancers. | Encourage greater levels of reporting by building trust that the Organisation will take proportionate action when sexual harassment and related inappropriate conduct occurs. Ensure that these groups are captured in training and reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
| High staff turnover, particularly of female or junior workers. | Ensure exit interviews are comprehensive and capture the reasons for the worker leaving the business and include in reporting. Refer to our Reporting dashboard examples. |
| Gender differences in shifts or teams that may be caused by a group or individual being more reluctant to work with particular workers or take on particular tasks. | Understand the reasons for the reluctance and implement measures to improve diversity in teams. Have strategies for achieving gender equality and diversity and inclusion targets. |
Different uniform requirements for men and women, or prescriptive dress codes or expectations for how women should look at work (such as high heels, skirts and make-up). | Review uniform requirements through a gender and cultural lens, and implement changes to break down the gender and cultural stereotypes in relation to how workers are required to dress. |
Travel and overnight stays. | Consider the necessity of travel and overnight stays. Where necessary, ensure secure accommodation is provided. |
Placements in regional or remote locations where workers may be socially isolated or confined with co-workers, such as fly-in-fly-out workers in camps. | Ensure that secure accommodation is provided, and supervisors regularly check in with such workers. |
| Frequent formal or informal client functions or after-work events. | Acknowledge the consumption of alcohol is not part of some employees’ culture and consider the necessity and focus of such functions. Implement a responsible service of alcohol policy and ensure non-alcoholic beverages are available. Ensure the organisation provides transport home for workers. |
Shift work, after-hours and longer hours. | Identify the risks associated with workers performing such shifts and implement control measures in response to those risks. |
Gendered and binary networking events or mentoring opportunities, such as work lunches at men’s clubs, invitations for men to play golf with the boss. | Cease offering such events, or invite women, and people of all backgrounds and cultures. |
Differences in the unspoken expectations of men and women workers. | Train staff and raise awareness in the business of unconscious bias and discrimination. |
Male workers dominating meetings or decisions. | Train staff and raise awareness of unconscious bias. |