Respect@Work is the new bill that makes sexual harassment a sackable offence. This will help everyone in your workplace understand how important it is to respect each other regardless of their position or gender may be; we all have rights at work!
The Respect@Work report was created due to the slow progress made from the 1984 Sex Discrimination Act and outlines sexual harassment as not only an issue for women, but for all of society. The Morrison government received the Respect@Work report in late 2019 and it was made public in early 2020. In early 2021 the Morrison government published their response and a few months later here we are with a new bill.
What is the law?
‘The Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect@Work) Amendment Bill 2021 makes sexual harassment a sackable offence’ (ABC 2021). The bill makes it clearer that harassing someone on the basis of sex is illegal.
The bill also states that employees now have twenty-four months instead of 6 months to lodge a complaint of sexual harassment to the Australian Human Rights Commission. There are now broader definitions of what constitutes as work and by whom, this will cover more vulnerable workers and those working from home.