For the first time in Australia, Victoria will soon view sexual harassment as a risk to health and safety in the workplace.
The Victorian government is also beginning work to restrict the use of confidentiality agreements in cases of sexual harassment in the workplace in the state.
For former Honey Birdette worker Claudia, the renovations are a welcome change, after cat calls and unwanted touches turned to harassment while she was at work.
For former Honey Birdette employee Claudia, the renovations are a welcome change. (new)
“Unfortunately, customers have been indecently exposed to staff,” Claudia said.
“The list goes on and on.”
Like Claudia, one in three people has been sexually harassed at work in the past five years.
Thus, Victoria is moving to enforce risk according to an employer’s OSH policy.
The Minister of Occupational Safety, Ingrid Stitt, announced the measure in the publication of the recommendations of a ministerial working group on sexual harassment in the workplace.
It was one of 26 recommendations made by the working group, which was co-chaired by Parliamentary Secretary Bronwyn Halfpenny and occupational injury lawyer Liberty Sanger.
Stitt said the government would accept 21 of the working group’s recommendations built during a 12-month investigation.
“A job that is not free of sexual harassment is not a safe job,” he said.
“These reforms will ensure that employers understand that they have clear occupational safety and health obligations to protect workers from sexual harassment.”
The Minister of Occupational Safety, Ingrid Stitt. (new)
Stitt said it would take time to make the right reform and that the government would now consult with stakeholders, including businesses, victims ’survivors and unions on implementing the changes.
He said the government would also accept the working group’s recommendation to treat sexual harassment as an occupational safety and health issue.
“This is a difficult but absolutely necessary reform to ensure Victorian workers are safe in the workplace,” he said.
Working group co-chair Liberty Sanger said restricting NDAs was a step forward in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. (new)
Working group co-chair Sanger said restricting NDAs was a step forward in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
He said the NDAs had caused “great damage” to the survivors.
“For too long, we have seen victims of sexual assault silenced by using NDA,” he said.
“What we heard was that the NDAs caused more and more damage after people had signed agreements that people wanted to talk about and that they couldn’t.
“Our recommendations will position Victoria as a leader in preventing and responding to work-related gender-based violence and sexual harassment through increased awareness, accountability and tougher enforcement.”