Workplaces with strategies in place targeting sexual harassment

1.5: Workplaces are safe from all forms of gender-based violence and are actively preventing sexual harassment and discrimination.

Increased use of best practice for preventing and responding to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace.

Proportion of workplaces with strategies in place targeting sexual harassment.

An increase in the proportion of workplaces with strategies or policies in place targeting sexual harassment will indicate a greater commitment from employers to respond to sexual harassment when it occurs. Note, presence of a strategy or policy alone is not evidence of the implementation of best-practice responses targeting sexual harassment.
In addition, the proportion of workplaces with strategies or policies in place at baseline is high and is not expected to continue increasing over time. The purpose of this measure is to provide context, and to monitor and ensure this commitment from employers does not fall over time.

2022–23

Number of organisations that have formal policies and strategies in place targeting sexual harassment.

Data element: Organisation—existence of sexual harassment policy or strategy 
Data source: WGEA
Data source type: Census

Number of reporting organisations.

Data element: Organisation—total reporting
Data source: WGEA
Data source type: Census

An organisation is considered to have a formal policy or strategy targeting sexual harassment if they answered either: ‘Yes – policy’ (a reporting organisation has a policy) or ‘Yes – strategy’ (a reporting organisation). 
This measure is expressed as a percentage of the total number of reporting organisations.

100 × (Numerator/Denominator)

Can be disaggregated by any or a combination of the following: 

• organisation size categories 
• industry. 

Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act (Cth) 2012, relevant employers with 100 or more employees must report to WGEA annually on six gender equality indicators. A relevant employer means: a registered higher education provider that is an employer; or a natural person, or a body or association (whether incorporated or not), that is an employer of 100 or more employees in Australia; or a Commonwealth company that is an employer of 100 or more employees in Australia; or a Commonwealth entity that is an employer of 100 or more employees in Australia.

Data from public sector employers will be reported for the first time in 2024.
Following legislative reform employer reporting on sexual harassment and, harassment on the ground of sex and discrimination should be more robust from 2023–24.  Some of the items previously noted as voluntary in the workplace profile and reporting questionnaire are mandatory for 2024 Gender Equality submission.

Due to high numbers at baseline (99% in 2022–23), there is little scope to observe increases over time.