Comcare has released a guidance resource to help employers, managers, supervisors and workers prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Aiming to help Agencies comply with their duties under the Work Health Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), Comcare said its new resource included both regulatory guidance and practical guidance.
“Comcare’s purpose is to promote and enable safe and healthy work,” the Agency said.
“We recognise workplace sexual harassment as a psychosocial hazard which has the potential to cause workers psychological or physical harm,” it said.
“There are a number of pieces of legislation that apply to sexual harassment including work health and safety laws, discrimination and equal opportunity laws, workplace relations laws, workers’ compensation laws and criminal laws at Commonwealth, State, and Territory levels.”
Comcare said that under the WHS Act employers must ensure the health and safety of workers and other persons at the workplace.
“While the WHS Act does not expressly refer to the risk of workplace sexual harassment, it imposes a duty on employers to eliminate or manage hazards and risks to health and safety of workers – including to prevent workplace sexual harassment,” Comcare said.
It said its workplace sexual harassment guides should be read in conjunction with Safe Work Australia’s guidance on workplace sexual harassment, which included preventing workplace sexual harassment and advice for workers.
Comcare’s guidance, including links to relevant Safe Work Australia and Australian Human Rights Commission resources, can be accessed at this PS News link.
