A national research project is underway to tackle workplace sexual harassment by transforming the organisational systems and fostering safe, inclusive work environments across Australia.
Understanding the problem
Workplace sexual harassment remains a serious and persistent issue. In the 5 years between 2017 and 2022, 1 in 3 Australians (33%) had been sexually harassed at work (41% of women and 26% of men) according to the Australian Human Rights Commission (2022). While individual behaviour plays a role, research increasingly shows that the greatest risks lie within the systems, structures, and cultures that shape daily working life. The project, Cultivating Systemic Safety and Inclusion to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment, seeks to shift the focus from reactive responses to proactive prevention by addressing the organisational contexts that enable harassment to occur.
Led by Professor Michelle Tuckey at the University of South Australia (UniSA), the 3-year project brings together teams from UniSA, Griffith University, and the University of Queensland, alongside 13 partner organisations including Safe Work Australia. Together, the project team aims to create a new evidence base for primary prevention and develop practical tools to support safer ways of working.
What the research aims to achieve
The project’s central goal is to understand and transform the risk contexts that underpin workplace sexual harassment. These risk contexts are not isolated incidents, but systemic issues embedded in the way organisations operate. The research will explore 4 key subsystems that influence work-related behaviour:
- Formal organising arrangements – structures and practices that may inadvertently protect harassers or create power imbalances.
- Social factors – group dynamics, cultural norms, and patterns of interaction that can foster exclusion or silence.
- Work characteristics and technologies – job design and rostering that may leave workers vulnerable or isolated.
- Physical settings – where proximity and layout can contribute to unsafe conditions.
Examples of these risk contexts include revenue systems that make certain staff ‘untouchable’ (for example, due to their financial success), cultures that reward hyper-competitive masculinity, or night shifts that leave workers alone. By identifying and addressing these systemic errors, the project aims to cultivate workplaces that are not only safe but actively inclusive.
Safe Work Australia joins as a partner organisation
Safe Work Australia is proud to be part of this transformative initiative.
In 2023, the Agency published the model Code of Practice: Sexual and gender-based harassment to help employers to understand and better manage risks.
‘Having national laws, guidance and strategies is a positive step towards eradicating workplace sexual harassment. Ultimately, we need systemic change – driven by tried and tested evidence-based solutions that work in practice. Research that examines and identifies how systemic societal and structural issues enable sexual and gender-based harassment is needed to ensure this happens.’
The findings from this groundbreaking research by the Cultivating Systemic Safety and Inclusion to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment project will be beneficial to government, employers, organisations and advocates working to prevent workplace sexual harassment.
Through its in-kind contribution, Safe Work Australia is helping connect the research to those in the broader WHS system. This includes leveraging its subscriber base and social media channels to gather feedback and share findings, ensuring the research reaches industry leaders, policymakers, and WHS professionals. Safe Work Australia staff are also actively participating in interviews, co-design workshops, and resource development, helping to translate academic insights into practical tools for change.
The collaboration officially launched in February 2025, with Safe Work Australia’s Research Strategy team joining partners in Adelaide to kick off the project. Over 3 phases, Discover, Design, and Implement/Evaluate, the alliance will co-create interventions and resources that support organisations in meeting their WHS and positive duty obligations and reducing sexual harassment at work.
Workplace sexual harassment is preventable, but prevention requires systemic change. This project offers a new pathway for organisations to rethink how they manage risk, culture, and inclusion. By engaging with the research and applying its findings, employers can help build a future where safety and dignity are embedded in every aspect of working life.
Read more on the project website.
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