Make a complaint - Working without fear: Results of the Sexual Harassment National Telephone Survey (2012)

If you feel safe and comfortable with taking a direct approach, you may want to deal with the situation yourself by raising it with the person or people involved. If you experience sexual harassment in your employment, you may also want to try and resolve the situation by talking to your supervisor, manager or employer. If your workplace has a human resources manager or equity officer / harassment contact officer, they may also be able to assist you.

If this does not resolve the situation, or you do not feel comfortable doing this, you can make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. You can also have someone, such as a solicitor or trade union, make a complaint on your behalf.

It does not cost anything to make a complaint to the Commission.
Your complaint needs to be put in writing. The Commission has a complaint form that you can fill in and post or fax to us or you can lodge a complaint online at our website. If you are not able to put your complaint in writing, we can help you with this. A complaint can be made in any language. If you need a translator or interpreter, the Commission can arrange this for you.

When the Commission receives a complaint alleging sexual harassment that is covered by the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), the President of the Commission can investigate the complaint and try to resolve it by conciliation. The Commission is not a court and cannot determine that discrimination has happened. The Commission’s role is to get both sides of the story and help those involved resolve the complaint.

Generally, the Commission will tell the person or organisation the complaint is against (the respondent) about your complaint and give them a copy of the complaint. The Commission may ask the respondent for specific information or a detailed response to your complaint.

Where appropriate, the Commission will invite you to participate in conciliation. Conciliation is an informal process that allows you and the respondent to talk about the issues and try to find a way to resolve the complaint.

If your complaint is not resolved or it is discontinued for another reason, you can take your complaint to the Federal Court of Australia or the Federal Magistrates Court.

Where can I get more information?

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s contact details are:

Complaint Info line: 1300 656 419 (local call)
TTY: 1800 620 241 (toll free)

Fax: (02) 9284 9611

Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218

Sydney NSW 2001

Website: www.humanrights.gov.au
You can make a complaint online by going to

If you are deaf or hearing impaired you can contact us by TTY on 1800 620 241.
If you need an Auslan interpreter, the Commission can arrange this for you.

If you are blind or have a vision impairment, the Commission can provide information in alternative formats on request.

If you are thinking about making a complaint, you might also want to consider obtaining legal advice or contacting your trade union. There are community legal services that can provide free advice about discrimination and harassment. Contact details for your closest community legal centre can be found at www.naclc.org.au/directory.