According to a new report released today by the Champions of Change Coalition, current systems for reporting and responding to workplace sexual harassment need a significant overhaul.
Lack of trust leads to under-reporting
When employees don’t trust the organisation’s reporting system, or fear that reporting will make the issue worse, this leads to low levels of reporting, preventing leaders from truly understanding what is happening.
Person centred & trauma informed practices are required
Adopting a person-centred and trauma-informed approach, together with safe and fair practices, can build trust and confidence in reporting systems and support better outcomes.
Anonymous reporting hotlines as part of the solution
The report recommended addressing other barriers to reporting by providing an anonymous reporting option. Enabling people to report anonymously removes a key barrier to reporting – fear of retribution – and can give the organisation valuable data about potential hot spots of risk.
Sexual harassment at work is everyone’s business!
The new positive duty requires employers to be proactive and prevent sexual harassment at work. Understanding how often, where and why harmful behaviours occur is an integral part of implementing the positive duty. Prevention includes making it safer to report issues, and ensuring that when issues are raised, they are managed in a way that prioritises wellbeing and recovery.
Access the full Champions of Change report here.
Your Call and Rely provide an anonymous and external speak-up platform and hotline for sexual harassment reporting. We are proud of our human-centred design principles and trauma-informed offering powered by our partnership with Flinders University.
Cut It Out! is a program to help employers combat sexual harassment at work and comply with the Respect@Work laws. Download a brochure to learn more.
Further reading
• Building Confidence and trust in workplace responses to sexual harassment
• Time for respect: One third of workers say they have experienced sexual harassment
• How to conduct a culture audit to comply with Respect@Work