Prevention: What can you do?

Preventing sexual harassment is a shared, community responsibility. Everyone can contribute to creating safer environments where sexual harassment is less likely to happen by:

  • Implementing safety measures to manage and reduce risk

  • Modelling respectful behaviours

  • Speaking up when inappropriate behaviour occurs (“see something, say something”)

Managers and PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) have a key role in prevention. This includes:

  • Understanding the risks in their setting

  • Planning and implementing measures to reduce those risks

  • Promoting a culture of respectful and appropriate behaviour

Creating safer environments requires ongoing commitment from both individuals and organisations.

WorkSafe guidance for preventing sexual harassment

WorkSafe requires PCBUs to put safety measures in place to manage the risk of sexual harassment. Key actions include:

  • Build a respectful workplace culture
    Establish clear expectations for behaviour (e.g. through a Code of Conduct).

  • Educate your team
    Provide training on sexual harm prevention and response, and use visual resources (such as posters) to reinforce acceptable behaviour and awareness.

  • Develop effective managers
    Train managers to understand sexual harassment and how to apply workplace policies appropriately.

  • Clarify responsibilities
    Communicate expectations in your contracts, and have checklists for prevention activities to implement.

  • Ensure transparency
    Make policies, processes, and reporting pathways clear (e.g. through health and safety briefings).

  • Provide clear reporting options
    Ensure workers know how to report concerns (e.g. through designated contacts or systems such as Merlin’s Pass).

  • Provide protection and support to workers who experience, witness, and/or report sexual harassment
    Respond to reports appropriately, follow established processes, and take it seriously.

Prevention in practice

A Sexual Harassment Policy, Code of Conduct, and training are fundamental in any workplace, regardless of size. They ensure everyone understands expected behaviour, what sexual harassment is, and how reports will be managed.

Additional tools such as posters and health and safety briefings can help reinforce expectations and support a culture of respect.

For events, venues, or specific work settings, it is important to consider risks unique to that environment and implement appropriate safety measures.

Whether for a one-off event, an ongoing workplace, or a short-term collaboration, prevention involves actively considering the people, environments, and situations involved, and taking practical steps to reduce the risk of sexual harassment.

Resources

See prevention resources for: