Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00326:body:0:p14
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00326
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 37122–40236

sexual and gender-based harassment can help you to identify when, where and how harassment might occur, consultation to identify this hazard should be broader. Even where sexual and gender-based harassment has not occurred or been formally reported, there may be situations workers encounter as part of their work which make them vulnerable to it. Workers may be more comfortable engaging in consultation focused on the hazard and risk, rather than past instances. A broader focus on the hazard and risk can also help to manage confidentiality and privacy issues.
Your consultation on other psychosocial hazards, particularly other harmful behaviours such as bullying, harassment and discrimination, may also help you to identify risks of sexual and gender-based harassment.

Collect and review data and information
Review any relevant information or records you hold that may identify sexual and gender‑based harassment. For example, records of past incidents (including grievance and bullying complaints), exit interviews or surveys.
For large and medium organisations that are large enough to assure anonymity, anonymous worker surveys can be an effective way of collecting de-identified information on sexual and gender-based harassment where workers do not feel comfortable reporting it or feel the incidents do not warrant reporting, for example, subtle harassment like sexual 'jokes'.
Seek information and advice on the circumstances where sexual harassment may occur in your particular industry and work activities from the WHS regulator, industry associations, unions, technical specialists and similar workplaces. Specific advice is particularly helpful in complex or high-risk situations. For example, where workers are exposed to sexual and gender-based harassment from an individual to whom they owe a duty of care (e.g. nurses or teachers).
Understand the worker demographics of your workplace to identify power disparities in working relationships (e.g. gender, role, reporting lines, seniority, locations, tenure, job security, pay, disability, First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and other personal characteristics).

Consider work tasks and the design of work
Look at the way work is designed including the tasks performed, how and when they are carried out. Some tasks may have higher risks of sexual and gender-based harassment, for example tasks:
   -            associated with sexist jokes and sexual innuendo
   -            requiring interaction with customers, clients, patients or other persons, either face‑to‑face, on the phone or online
   -            being performed in remote locations, people's homes or in other work environments where access to support and supervision is not immediately available, or
   -            involving attendance at conferences, excursions and social events as part of work duties, including overnight travel.
Consider how work is allocated, including the skills and experience of the workers and the number of workers assigned to a task. Consider how gender stereotypes may impact the risks involved with certain tasks.