8 April 2021 4:22pm
The federal government will adopt 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work report, either in full or in part, more than a year after receiving the document in January 2020.
The landmark report from Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins was released publicly last March, and includes recommendations which are aimed at shifting the system from being complaints-based with the onus of proof on victims to one where employers must work to actively create safe workplaces by stamping out sexual harassment.
The changes to the Fair Work Act and the Sex Discrimination Act include holding politicians and judges, previously exempt from the laws, accountable when sexual harassment claims are made in their workplace. Sexual harassment will now be a valid reason for dismissal and will also be included in the Fair Work Act’s definition of “serious misconduct”.