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Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

In a modern workforce where men and women work side by side it is important that employers protect their employees from unwanted behaviour that is not only harmful to the employee involved but also unprofessional and unproductive for the workplace. Sexual harassment is one form of unwanted behaviour that attempts to exclude individuals from the workplace by focusing on the sex of the person involved. Sexual harassment can happen in many different situations but overwhelmingly the complaints we receive involve the workplace.

Media Release || Launch Speech || Sexual Harassment in Employment – Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings || The Complaints Process || Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment || Cost to Employers

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

The information available in relation to each of the 152 complaints varied. As such, it was not always possible to determine each finding in relation to all of the complaints. For each of the findings below, the number of complaints for which the particular information was available is noted in brackets.

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

Sexual harassment has been unlawful across Australia for almost twenty years with 2004 marking the twentieth anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (Sex Discrimination Act). [2] Over that period, community awareness of the existence of sexual harassment, particularly in the area of employment, has grown considerably.

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

Media Pack Index | Media Release | Launch Speech by Pru Goward | Speech by Nareen Young | Case Studies Fact Sheets: Key Findings | The Complaints Process | Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment | Cost to Employers

The majority of reported sexual harassment was targeted at women, involved multiple forms of harassing behaviour and occurred on more than one occasion. In over one in five cases, the harassment continued for more than 12 months. Verbal harassment was often a precursor to physical forms of harassment.

Sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction in the circumstances. [11] The Sex Discrimination Act defines the nature and circumstances in which sexual harassment is unlawful. [12]

Many same-sex couples who appeared at the Inquiry’s community forums talked about the problems they face in getting visas. They highlighted the limited options available to a same-sex couple wanting to migrate to Australia as a couple. They talked about the additional expense and disruption to their lives in proving their entitlement to a visa. And they talked about the indignity of being treated differently to genuine opposite-sex couples.

The following is a selection of extracts from these stories.[1] The stories demonstrate the compound effect of discrimination against same-sex families in the area of financial and work-related entitlements.

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ("HREOC") is an independent statutory authority established under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth). It has a variety of functions and powers to promote and protect the human rights of all people in Australia. HREOC administers the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) ("SDA"). Sexual harassment is a legally recognised form of sex discrimination.

This Chapter compares the results of HREOC's review of sexual harassment in employment complaints reported in A Bad Business with the findings of the telephone survey on the incidence and nature of sexual harassment in the workplace in relation to:

A telephone survey questionnaire of eight to ten minutes duration was designed by HREOC in collaboration with the Gallup Organization. A copy is attached at Appendix B.

Sexual harassment is unlawful under the SDA and complaints of sexual harassment are managed by HREOC under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth) ("HREOCA"). This Chapter provides a short overview of the public policy framework which governs sexual harassment and examines some of the implications of the survey results for public policy, particularly in comparison with the findings from A Bad Business.[131]