Employment Relations Podcast #27 – Respect@Work Part 2: What can organisations do now to be ready to comply with the positive duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?
20/10/2022
In part two of our two-part special series of Piper Alderman’s Employment Law for the Time Poor Podcast, join Emily Haar and Joe Murphy, Partners, and Emily Slaytor, Special Counsel, for a discussion about the Respect@Work legislative amendments to the legislation introduced to Parliament quite recently.
The way that organisations are expected to manage workplace issues, whether it be bullying, harassment, mental health matters or other issues, is moving from a complaints-based system to one of prevention. Work Health and Safety principles do not just apply to dangerous machinery, but to managing workplace culture and relationships as well. The new Bill proposes to enact a positive duty for employers to prevent workplace sexual harassment, with the Australian Human Rights Commission to be given additional powers to ensure organisations comply with their obligations.
In this episode, our team discusses the new Bill before the Commonwealth Parliament to further implement recommendations from the Respect@Work Report. Regardless of what happens with that Bill, it is timely for employers to consider reviewing their harassment, bullying, and discrimination policies to ensure compliance, but also to consider what training and other preventative measures they can and should be taking.
With that in mind, Piper Alderman are also running an updated training session for business leaders and HR/ER practitioners to ensure they are ready for these new laws, which will include provision of an updated and compliant sexual harassment policy for your business. The training is currently scheduled to take place nationally online, on Thursday, 8 December 2022, 9am – 1:30pm. Please register your interest in this or any other training session by contacting your regular Piper Alderman Employment Relations contact or via: https://piperalderman.com.au/services/employment-labour/workplace-training/.
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