Heads Up on Sexual Harassment: No More ‘She’ll Be Right’
SafeWork NSW just wrapped up a sexual harassment compliance blitz across the hospitality industry, and it sent a clear message: treating sexual harassment as “just a HR issue” is no longer good enough.
Sixteen improvement notices later, it’s not just bars and cafes feeling the heat. Retail and healthcare are next, and frankly, all businesses should be paying attention.
What Happened?
The Respect at Work Taskforce, launched by SafeWork NSW in late 2023, inspected 38 hospitality venues across the state.
What they found was pretty consistent:
WHS Consultation Gaps: Businesses were urged to strengthen consultation with workers to ensure that control measures are tailored, appropriate, and effective.
Training Gaps: Inspectors highlighted the need for role-specific training, particularly for bar staff, covering sexual harassment risks and incident reporting procedures.
Psychosocial Risk Controls: Businesses were encouraged to consider a broader range of control measures to manage psychosocial risks, including those linked to sexual harassment.
Inadequate Risk Registers: While most venues had systems in place to identify harassment risks, some lacked detail or failed to assess contributing factors comprehensively.
Limited Investigation Systems: Some employers had reporting mechanisms but lacked a structured approach to investigating incidents of sexual harassment.
And yes, improvement notices were issued, fast. The regulator’s message?
Sexual harassment is a WHS risk. You need proper systems to prevent and manage it.
Not Just Hospitality
Retail and healthcare are next on SafeWork NSW’s list, but this is a broader shift.
Every workplace that involves interaction with people, whether in person or online, carries a risk of sexual harassment. Regulators are now treating it as a WHS issue, so it’s important to have the right systems in place to prevent and respond.
What All Businesses Should Be Doing (Right Now)
No matter your size or sector, here’s what you should take from this:
Consult your people. Don’t just write policies behind closed doors. Workers must have input into how risks like harassment are managed.
Update your training.
Off-the-shelf harassment modules can be a good starting point, especially for induction, but they shouldn’t be the only training. Make sure your approach includes role-specific content and real-world scenarios that reflect the risks your team actually faces.Check your risk register.
Is sexual harassment listed as a hazard? Are triggers and contributing factors identified? Are controls documented?Review your reporting AND investigation process.
Don’t stop at a complaints form. What happens next should be fair, clear, and consistent.Take note if you operate in QLD. If you operate in QLD, you’ll need a written Sexual Harassment Prevention Plan.
Let’s get your team set up for Respect @ Work
Whether you’re looking to train your team, upskill your managers, review your policies and procedures, or strengthen your support structures, Risk Collective can help. We work with organisations to take proactive, practical steps in identifying, preventing, and responding to workplace sexual harassment.
Article prepared by Amy Towers, Director - WHS, People & Compliance