A major industrial relations Bill expressly banning workplace s-xual harassment has passed Federal Parliament. The development follows the release of the results of the Australian Human Rights Commission's fifth national survey on the prevalence of such harassment, which features both alarming and encouraging findings.
New Federal laws prohibiting conduct creating "hostile" workplace environments, and imposing a positive duty on employers to prevent s-xual harassment, have passed both houses of Parliament with additional provisions clarifying the related operation of WHS legislation.
The Federal Government has committed to ratifying a global convention against work-related violence and harassment, in a move that is expected to have a practical impact on Australian workplaces and compel employers and legislators to increase safety standards and requirements.
The model Work Health and Safety Regulations could be amended to remove the "encompassment" of high-risk work licences for cranes, with Safe Work Australia members agreeing to advance changes proposed through a feedback process.
S-xual harassment committed in "connection with work" will be expressly prohibited under the Fair Work regime, while building productivity laws will re-focus on WHS outcomes, under two of many changes in a major Bill. Meanwhile, new domestic violence leave entitlements have passed Parliament.
