Workplace Silence Is Fuelling Ongoing Sexual Harassment Despite Formal Policies
Despite widespread policies, reporting systems and codes of conduct, workplace sexual harassment continues to persist, with research showing nearly half of women and 31% of men experience it during their working lives. Surveys across 3,700 employees found that silence dynamics increase harassment over time, particularly where organisational norms discourage speaking up.
However, findings also show that ethical leadership can disrupt this cycle. Effective supervisors apply fair and consistent accountability, demonstrate integrity through actions rather than policy alone, clearly communicate behavioural expectations, and take complaints seriously and follow up.
Workplace Safety Regulator Investigates Two Deaths Among NAB Staff
Content warning: this article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
The federal workplace safety regulator, Comcare, is investigating the deaths of two National Australia Bank (NAB) employees who died by suicide within weeks of each other. Comcare confirmed it is examining the circumstances of both incidents, while police have prepared reports for the coroner in relation to at least one of the deaths.
The incidents have prompted concern about workplace culture and broader psychosocial risks within large organisations, alongside ongoing scrutiny of workforce restructuring and job cuts in the banking sector. The regulator’s investigation has highlighted the increasing focus on psychosocial hazards and employer obligations to manage workplace mental health risks.
FWC Clarifies Limits on Rehabilitation and Redeployment in Incapacity Dismissals
Employers must balance workers’ compensation obligations, discrimination law and unfair dismissal protections when managing ill or injured employees. In Rennick v Victorian WorkCover Authority [2026] FWC 554, the applicant was a long-serving WorkSafe Victoria inspector who developed complex PTSD following exposure to traumatic workplace incidents. From late 2023, he was consistently assessed as having no capacity for work, with medical evidence later confirming total and ongoing incapacity.
The employee argued the dismissal was unfair due to a lack of rehabilitation and redeployment efforts. The FWC rejected this, finding rehabilitation obligations do not arise where there is no capacity to work, and redeployment is not required in those circumstances.
Podcast Highlights Widespread Workplace Discrimination Against Women and Need for Free Legal Support
A recent podcast from Women’s Legal Services Australia highlights the ongoing prevalence of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment and financial inequality affecting women across Australia. The discussion emphasises that many women face complex, overlapping legal issues in employment, including sexual harassment and discrimination at work, unfair dismissal and insecure employment, and wage inequality and financial disadvantage.
Free services such as Women’s Legal Services and Working Women’s Centres play a critical role in providing confidential, trauma-informed advice and advocacy, particularly for women in low-paid or non-unionised roles.
Sexual Misconduct Findings Now Permanently Published on Health Practitioner Register
More than 100 Australian health practitioners now have sexual misconduct findings permanently recorded on the public register following national regulatory reforms. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has updated records, including 86 practitioners no longer in practice, to clearly identify sexual misconduct findings dating back to 2010. Key changes include:
- Sexual misconduct findings now explicitly flagged on the public register
- Retrospective application across all tribunal decisions since 2010
- Covers harassment, boundary violations and criminal conduct
The reforms aim to strengthen transparency and public safety by ensuring misconduct findings are clearly visible and cannot be obscured from public view.
Procedural Fairness Failure Leads to $6,700 Payout Despite Serious Misconduct Dismissal
The Fair Work Commission has awarded a worker nearly $7,000 after finding his dismissal was procedurally unfair, despite accepting that serious misconduct had occurred. The employee had distributed pornographic material in the workplace, sped in company vehicles, and texted while driving – all of which the FWC agreed were valid grounds for termination.
However, the dismissal was found to be procedurally unfair because the employee was not clearly informed he was at risk of dismissal, specific allegations were not properly put to him, and he was not given a genuine opportunity to respond before termination. The Commission ordered compensation of four weeks’ pay, reduced to $6,676 after accounting for notice already paid. A timely reminder that even where serious misconduct exists, procedural fairness is not optional.
New WorkSafe Family and Domestic Violence at Work Guide
A new guide by Safe Work Australia highlights that family and domestic violence is not just a personal issue, but a workplace health and safety risk that employers must actively manage. It outlines when and how these risks can arise at work and sets out employers’ legal duties to identify, assess and control them. The guide also offers practical strategies to support affected workers, from flexible work arrangements and safety planning to confidential reporting processes.
Dog-Friendly Workplaces Raise Safety, Discrimination and Psychosocial Considerations
Dogs are increasingly being introduced into workplaces to boost morale, with research showing potential health benefits – including one study finding dog owners had a 24% lower risk of early death. However, workplace benefits depend on proper risk management. Potential hazards include allergies, phobias, hygiene concerns, and safety risks such as bites or aggression.
These risks engage employers’ duties to manage physical and psychosocial hazards and ensure an inclusive work environment. Importantly, while pets are optional, assistance animals are protected under the Disability Discrimination Act. Employers must not refuse access unless risks cannot be reasonably managed. Employers should consult staff, undertake risk assessments and implement clear policies to ensure compliance with WHS and discrimination laws.
WA Government Launches $4 Million Grants Program to Prevent Psychological Harm at Work
The Cook Labor Government has announced a $4 million Mentally Healthy Workplaces Grant Program aimed at reducing psychosocial risks and improving workplace mental health across Western Australia. The program supports initiatives that improve understanding of psychosocial hazards and WHS obligations, with a focus on practical workplace application.
The program is delivered in two stages: the first builds awareness of psychosocial risks, while the second supports strategies to address them. The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen compliance with psychosocial work health and safety duties and reduce mental health harm in the workplace, particularly in high-risk industries.
