The new report highlights that workers who believe ‘women secretly enjoy it when women ‘come onto’ them at work” and “women mistakenly interpret innocent remarks or acts as being sexist” are more than 16 times more likely to have engaged in sexual harassment connected to the workplace. While those who agreed that “in the workplace, men generally make more capable bosses than women” were 5 times more likely to have engaged in sexual harassment. The report exposes ‘myths’ that are driving workplace sexual harassment and serves as a clear warning for employers that proactive action is needed to address entrenched positions.
Workplace Technology Facilitated Sexual Harassment (WTFSH) involves unwelcome sexual conduct using digital technologies perpetrated in a workplace context. This includes harassment that extends, through the use of the technology involved, beyond both the physical location of the workplace ad outside of the hours of work.
WTFSH includes a variety of activities including unwelcome sexual advances or requests, pursuit or monitoring, unwanted explicit contact and image abuse.
The report, Workplace technology-facilitated sexual harassment: Perpetration, responses and prevention, commissioned by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, found that the general attitudes held by workers was the “most significant indicator” of WTFSH perpetrated by the workforce.
Workers were asked to indicate how strongly they concurred with statements such as;
- “most women secretly enjoy it when men ‘come on’ to them at work”
- “sometimes a woman has a ‘fantasy’ relationship with her boss and then claims that he sexually harassed her”
- “many women mistakenly interpret innocent remarks or acts as being sexist”
- “in the workplace, men generally make more capable bosses than women”
The Report shows that a quarter of respondents admitted to harassing colleagues at work.
Half of those that admitted to harassing colleagues at work reported that they “thought the person was ok with it”.
Shockingly more than 30% of those that admitted to harassing colleagues at work reported that they wanted to “frighten or humiliate the target or ‘express their anger’ towards them”.
“This suggests that WTFSH more likely occurred via email and phone (including calls or SMS) rather than, for example, via social media, video conferencing or personal chat platforms,” the Report said.
The Report cautions that many workplaces fail to consider the implications of “digital communications and inappropriate behaviour and the ways technology can facilitate or make it easier to ‘step over the line’ due to the less formal communication channels it encompasses, for example, workplace WhatsApp groups.”
Noting that the in-depth case studies with younger workers exposed the “complexities of WTFSH and an absence of knowledge of policies and supports to address, prevent and respond to it” and that technological developments “can create blurred boundaries as to what constitutes professional and unprofessional conduct when using digital technologies and facilitate an environment where WTFSH is not only possible but probable”.
These case studies made it evident that there is a need for a “clear definition” of “what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behaviour concerning work contexts and digital technologies”, while employer policies should specifically mention WTFSH.
Learnings for all businesses
“The Report is a clear message to all employers that they need to take proactive action to ‘bust the myths’ around sexual harassment” explains ACAPMAs Elisha Radwanowski.
“The self reported nature of the responses and the current public and charged context of a spotlight on appropriate conduct in the workplace, makes these findings even more shocking. It is a notice to businesses that the ‘standard’ way of setting expectations of appropriate conduct at work is not getting through to a large number of workers. It is a reminder that more needs to be done to bust the myths and that means a practical focus on behaviours and responses that leaves workers with no question as to what is and is not appropriate, and what the business will do in response to breaches”.
“The positive duty on businesses to actively prevent sexual discrimination and harassment means that every business needs to take the learnings from this report onboard “, continued Elisha.
For more on the positive duty to prevent sexual discrimination and harassment – https://acapmag.com.au/2024/03/safety-regulator-warns-positive-sexual-harassment-duties-need-multiple-reporting-points/ and https://acapmag.com.au/2024/01/positive-duty-recap-sex-discrimination-act/
Train all managers now
The safety regulators have also cautioned businesses to ensure that they are actively training all managers in their responsibilities under the new positive duties to ensure that the business and the managers, are supporting compliant operations.
The ACAPMA Fuel Convenience Compliance (FCC) Level 2 Course for Onsite Managers encompasses a detailed review of all managers employment and safety duties, including the positive duty to prevent sexual discrimination and harassment. For more information on the ACAPMA FCC Level 2 courses see; https://acapma.com.au/our-services/training/fuel-convenience-retail-training-solutions/
Here to help
HR Highlights are things to consider, implement and watch out for in your business. They are provided as general advice and you should seek further advice on your situation by emailing employment@acapma.com.au its free for members.
ACAPMA membership is affordable at only $860 per year for a single site and valuable with sites gaining HR and IR advice support and representation in unfair dismissal matters as well as a raft of other benefits and discounts see; https://acapma.com.au/membership/ for more information.
Elisha Radwanowski BCom(HRM & IR)
ACAPMA
