Workplace Sexual harassment Tasmania: how to deal with it
In terms of sexual harassment, this refers to any unwanted or uninvited sexual behavior that is offensive, humiliating, or intimidatory. In the event that you are being subjected to workplace sexual harassment Tasmania, there are several options available to you. Under Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas), discrimination and certain other conduct are illegal. An investigation or inquiry may also be conducted under the Act if a complaint of discrimination or prohibited conduct is made. Additionally, the WHS Act and Regulation Tasmania require employers to implement a risk management process to deal with psychosocial hazards.
It is important to recognise that sexual harassment takes many forms, including:
- Comments or expressions that are sexually offensive
- Making lewd jokes or sharing personal experiences with sexuality
- Posters and screensavers containing sexual content are being shared in the workplace
- Demanding sexual favours or repeatedly asking for dates despite being rebuffed
- An offensive statement, gesture, or facial expression, including staring at the other person’s body for an extended period of time
- Attempting to touch or kiss the person’s clothing or body in an inappropriate or suggestive manner
- Questions pertaining to sexual activity that are intrusive.
In addition to sexual harassment, there are also certain behaviours that may be criminal offenses, such as sexual assault and stalking.
Getting help is as simple as understanding your options
Listed below are some options that you may wish to consider. These do not have to be followed in any particular order:
Check your workplace policy
You may have access to workplace policies that provide information on steps to take in case of harassment or discrimination, such as a Sexual Harassment Policy, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, or Grievance/Complaints Policy. Your employer may have provided a copy of these policies during induction, you may be able to access them through your employer’s intranet, or you may be able to access them through Human Resources.
Engage the other party in a discussion
You may be able to ask the person to stop harassing you depending on your relationship with them and the nature of the sexual harassment. There is a possibility that the behaviour may end as a result since people are sometimes unaware of their actions until they are made aware of them.
Look for help
The human resources officer or manager at your workplace may be able to help you if you are uncomfortable talking directly with the person or people involved. It might be in your best interest to discuss your concerns with a board member if there is no one more senior than you.
In this situation, you should be able to discuss your options with the manager or human resource officer in further detail. You must inform the other party if you wish to keep your complaint confidential.
Human resources officers or managers may be able to speak with the perpetrator directly or may recommend that the issue be escalated to a higher level of management.
To ensure your health and safety in your workplace, the person you talk to about sexual harassment may have a duty of care to report it to more senior levels of management if the harassment is of a very serious nature.
A formal complaint should be made at work
You may wish to file a formal complaint regarding the behaviour at your workplace if talking to the person involved in the harassment doesn’t resolve the issue.
In situations where your workplace policies do not specify how to make a complaint, it is best to write it down and submit it to your supervisor or human resources officer. Describe the behaviour as accurately as possible, including who was involved, when it occurred, and who else might have witnessed or heard it. In case you have any records or copies of records that may contain sexually harassing material, such as emails, pictures or screenshots, you should include these along with any other documents that you have.
An investigation should be conducted into a formal complaint made to your workplace. You’d have to ask the sexual harasser to tell their side of the story. Any witnesses might also need to be questioned. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, your employer might terminate the person who sexually harassed you, move them to another location, or give them a warning.
Make a claim with an external agency
One of the following organisations can assist you with a discrimination claim related to sexual harassment. Find out how to lodge a claim by visiting their website or contacting them directly. These organisations include the Fair Work Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tasmania, and the Human Rights Commission.
Take advantage of social support
The issue of sexual harassment extends beyond the legal sphere. There is a possibility that it could affect your health and wellbeing. In order to find a way to cope with your feelings, it can be helpful to talk to someone you trust and feel comfortable talking to. There are many possible people who can be this person, such as a family member, friend, work colleague, doctor or healthcare professional.
Take advantage of counselling services
When you are experiencing emotional difficulties, it can be helpful to speak with a professional. A trained professional can be contacted via telephone or online, arranged for you to meet face-to-face, or provide information on how to take care of your mental health. You may be able to obtain assistance from the EAP program at work.
Get in touch with a sexual assault specialist
There is a national specialist service called 1800Respect which can provide information, referrals to other services, and telephone or online counselling.
Get medical assistance
Whether or not to seek medical attention is entirely up to you, although it is often a good idea to do so. It is possible to obtain medical treatment from a general practitioner, from an emergency department at a hospital, or from a specialised community health centre.
The investment made by a company in sexual harassment prevention training shows its employees that it values their safety. As a result of the sexual harassment prevention training, a supportive work environment is created. Sexual harassment prevention training may be available to employees who would not otherwise be aware of it or seek it out. In Tasmania, employees who feel appreciated and challenged may feel a greater sense of job satisfaction as a result of sexual harassment prevention training.
It is more likely for employees to feel valued if they are invested in, and they are less likely to change employers if they feel valued. An additional company benefit is sexual harassment prevention training. As a result, staff retention lowers recruitment costs. As an onsite, online, and e-learning provider in Tasmania, WHS and Training Compliance Solutions offers a variety of programs. In addition to being more cost-effective, our training programs allow for greater process consistency. If you would like to schedule a training session for your employees, please contact our office.
Make your business goals a reality with WHS and Training Compliance Solutions
The WHS and Training Compliance Solutions offering a variety of short courses addressing workplace psychosocial hazards can meet the needs of any individual or team in Tasmania.
We offer online short courses that are designed to ensure your employees have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills to keep their knowledge about the WHS Act Tasmania up to date. Call one of our education consultants at 0754992406 to learn more about your employee training needs!
Join the fight against workplace sexual harassment Tasmania! Get trained with WHS and Training Compliance Solutions Pty Ltd today. Act now!
As an organisation, we are committed to creating a safe and respectful workplace for all employees. One way we can do this is by offering programs that address and prevent workplace sexual harassment Tasmania. These programs can include training sessions for employees and managers, as well as policies and procedures that outline what constitutes sexual harassment and how to report it.
In addition to offering programs, we also need to ensure that we are in compliance with the Work-related Sexual Harassment Tasmania. This means that we need to have policies and procedures in place that meet the requirements of the Tasmania, such as providing education and training, investigating complaints promptly and thoroughly, and taking appropriate action when harassment has occurred.
As individuals, there are also things we can do to help create a safe and respectful workplace. We can speak up if we witness or experience harassment, and we can support our colleagues who may be going through a difficult time. It’s important to remember that preventing work-related sexual harassment is everyone’s responsibility, and by working together, we can make our workplace a better place for all.
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