The Work Couch: Preventing sexual harassment post-#MeToo (Part 1): How do UK and Australian laws compare?
Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast series where we explore how your business can navigate today's tricky people challenges and respond to key developments in the ever-evolving world of employment law.
In recognition of April being sexual assault awareness month in Australia, we decided to devote our fourth episode to the topic of workplace sexual harassment at work. Teaming up with our Terralex partner firm Lander & Rogers, we take a look at how the relevant employment law protections in the UK and Australia measure up.
Ellie Gelder talks to two employment law experts on either side of the world, Aaron Goonrey and Kelly Thomson, about:
- The legal definitions of sexual harassment in Australia and the UK;
- Work parties and sexual harassment since the pandemic;
- Dealing with banter and jokes at work;
- Changes to the law on sexual harassment in Australia, following the enactment of the Respect at Work Act 2022;
- The role of psychological safety;
- Third-party harassment and proposed changes to UK law;
- Intersectional challenges and considerations;
- The role of active allyship; and
- Key takeaways for employers dealing with sexual harassment allegations.
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All information is correct at the time of recording.
The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.
Related articles
- Whose job is it to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?, written by Kelly Thomson, Partner at RPC
- Respect@Work: the new act and next steps for workplaces, written by the Employment & workplace relations team at Lander & Rogers
- Respect@Work hub, for all the latest news, information and resources on the Respect at Work Act 2022, from Lander & Rogers
References
- STUC Women’s Committee Survey of Women in Scotland’s Experiences of Sexual Harassment at Work Report (2022)
- TUC research on tackling and preventing sexual harassment (2022)
- Fawcett Society: Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace: recommendations for employers (2021)
- Harvard Business Review: Ending harassment at work requires an intersectional approach (2019)
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