The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has issued a new guideline and online response tool to direct employers towards taking proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
The Commission said that under Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act, it was not enough for employers to just deal with sexual harassment complaints when they arose, they must also take proactive steps to prevent harassment from occurring in the first place.
Commissioner Kristen Hilton said the new guideline and online response tool would help employers fulfil their ‘positive duty’.
“The ‘positive duty’ is unique to Victoria,” Commissioner Hilton said.
“It means that employers in this State need to combine both prevention and response measures in their approach to managing sexual harassment,” she said.
“The new edition of our Guideline: Preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment, provides practical, easy-to-implement advice for employers to help them comply with their legal obligation to keep every employee safe from sexual harassment.”
Commissioner Hilton said that for the first time, the guideline included minimum standards to guide employers’ policies and practices.
“Together, these standards become a framework for preventing and responding to sexual harassment,” she said.
“The guideline also includes a step-by-step guide for dealing with sexual harassment complaints, a risk matrix tool, and a gender equality framework to help them take action on the underlying issues that drive sexual harassment.”
She said the standards were about shifting responsibility to employers and prioritised knowledge, action and accountability.
The Commission’s 116-page Guideline can be accessed at this PS News link, and its response tool at this link.
