Preventing Workplace Harassment
Bullying
Occurs when a person or group of people repeatedly behave unreasonably towards another worker or group of workers and the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety. Examples of conduct that may constitute bullying include of physical or verbal abuse; yelling, screaming or offensive language; intimidation; teasing or playing practical jokes; pressuring someone to behave inappropriately; excluding someone from work- related events; unreasonable work demands; assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the job; deliberately changed work rosters to inconvenience particular employees; and undermining work performance by deliberately withholding information vital for effective work performance.
Bystander Effect
A phenomenon where people are less likely to object to or report inappropriate conduct when others also witness the same misconduct. The bystander effect is thought to arise, in part, from diffusion of responsibility. Bystander intervention techniques are taught to empower bystanders to intervene.
Bystander Intervention Techniques
Techniques you can use and actions you can take when you witness sexual harassment, other forms of workplace harassment or any inappropriate workplace behaviour. A bystander can intervene directly or indirectly, by, for example, distracting the target or perpetrator of the inappropriate conduct or by reporting the conduct to a supervisor or human resources (HR).
Diffusion of Responsibility
The tendency of a person to feel less responsibility to help or intervene in a given situation when there are others present, because the person assumes that someone else will take action. Social psychology research indicates that diffusion of responsibility increases as the number of bystanders increases.
Gender Identity
Refers to a person’s deeply held internal and individual feeling of gender.
Hostile Workplace Environment
A form or unlawful sex discrimination which may arise when a person engages in conduct that is not directed toward a particular person but that a reasonable person would anticipate to be offensive, intimidating or humiliating to another person in the workplace, on the ground of that person’s sex.
Protected Grounds
Federal law protects employees across Australia from harassment and discrimination based on certain individual attributes. These include sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), disability, race/colour, age, immigrant status, marital or relationship status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, and family responsibilities. Laws in states and territories protect employees on the basis other grounds. Some examples of grounds protected under state or territory law are religion or religious conviction, physical features, political affiliation, irrelevant medical record, irrelevant criminal record, status as a carer and trade union activity.
Reporting
Sharing concerns about inappropriate behaviour with a supervisor, HR, another member of management or external government agencies, such as the Australian Human Rights Commission or agencies in states or territories.
Sex or Gender Stereotyping
The practice of ascribing to a person specific attributes, characteristics or roles by reason only of the person’s gender or sex. Gender or sex stereotyping includes making assumptions about a person’s appearance or behaviour, gender roles, gender identity, or an ability or inability to perform certain kinds of work based on a myth, social expectation, or generalization about the individual’s gender or sex.
Sex-Based Harassment
A form of unlawful sex discrimination. Occurs when a person engages in unwelcome and demeaning conduct based on sex which a reasonable person would anticipate to be offensive, humiliating, or intimidating to the person harassed.
Sexual Harassment
A form of illegal sex discrimination. Occurs when a person makes an unwelcome sexual advance or request for sexual favors or engages in other unwelcome sexual behaviour which a reasonable person would anticipate to be offensive, humiliating, or intimidating to the person harassed.
Victimisation
Occurs when an employer imposes or threatens to impose on an employee any loss, damage or injury because an employee: reported in good faith a concern about harassment or discrimination; filed a claim in good faith, or encouraged another employee to file a claim in good faith, relating to harassment or discrimination; or testified, assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing related to harassment or discrimination.
Workplace Harassment
Occurs when someone does something that is unwelcome, related to a protected ground and which a reasonable person would anticipate to be offensive, humiliating or intimidating to the person harassed.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.