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COSBOA chief Peter Strong. Source: supplied.
Yesterday the government released its reply to the [email protected] report, which was released by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins last year.
COSBOA is positive and pleased that we as a society are addressing this important issue and recognising sexual harassment as a form of misconduct. Having an unsafe or unhappy workplace is not good for employees, not good for the owners of the business, and not good for productivity and business viability.
COSBOA was consulted comprehensively by Kate Jenkins and her team for the [email protected] report, as they were keen to ensure that the needs of small business owners and workers in small business were considered. Jenkins understands that small businesses make up well over 90% of businesses in Australia and that their needs, and their employees’ needs, are often overlooked due to the difficulty of consulting such a large group.
Attorney-General Michaelia Cash and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Source: AAP/Mick Tsikas
It took more than a year but the government has finally decided to respond to Australia’s landmark workplace sexual harassment [email protected]report released by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins in early March 2020.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced with Attorney-General Michaelia Cash yesterday that the government would accept all of the report’s 55 recommendations “wholly, in part, or in principle” through a “roadmap to respect”.
The goal is to introduce legislative changes before the next budget to simplify and streamline sexual harassment legislation.
Morrison continued to blame the pandemic for not responding to the [email protected] report sooner, pointing to (paltry) funding made available to domestic violence organisations as “action”. He again blamed social media for a lack of respect among Australians.
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The federal government will amend the Sex Discrimination Act to include MPs, judges and public servants who are currently exempt.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the change on Thursday morning as part of the response to the Respect@Work report, which it received in January 2020.
Attorney-General Michaelia Cash and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have released the government’s long-awaited response to a report on ending workplace sexual harassment.
Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“It all starts with disrespect. That’s where it starts. I would argue not just disrespect towards women, disrespect full stop. We’ve got to be careful in our society that we don’t allow the reservoir of respect to drain, and I fear it is,” Mr Morrison said.
Prevention is the best way to stamp out sexual harassment
The Attorney General says the governmentâs response to the Respect@Work report balances education with consequences when people are harassed in the workplace.
Michaelia Cash
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Sexual harassment in the workplace is unacceptable. Everyone has the right to feel safe at work.
Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations Michaelia Cash and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing the governmentâs response to the Respect@Work report.Â
Alex Ellinghausen
Sadly, so many have personal experiences of harassment in the workplace. These experiences are degrading, disempowering and can be traumatising.
In addition to the high personal toll that sexual harassment takes on individuals, Deloitte estimates that sexual harassment costs the Australian economy approximately $3.8 billion a year predominantly through lost productivity in the private sector.