1. Home
  2. Gendered violence

Work-related sexual harassment: Know your responsibilities

Employers have a responsibility to prevent work-related sexual harassment.

Know your obligations

As an employer you must provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment for your employees, including independent contractors, that is safe and without risks to their health so far as reasonably practical. You also have obligations to prevent and eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace under equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws.

You also have an obligation to consult with employees and health and safety representatives (if any) on matters that directly affect, or are likely to affect their health or safety, for example when identifying hazards and deciding on appropriate risk controls. This includes when identifying hazards and risks associated with sexual harassment.

We've prepared a detailed guide to help you maintain a safe workplace that is free of sexual harassment.

Tools and resources developed by WorkSafe

Gendered violence fact sheet  

Translated in eight languages.

Work-related gendered violence including sexual harassment (PDF version)  

WorkWell  

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission  

Sexual harassment regulation map

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission  

Sexual harassment support and response tool.

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission  

Guideline: Preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment - Complying with the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

Legal duties

Occupational health and safety – your legal duties  

Get in touch

Our Watch  

A national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia.

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission  

Protecting your human rights, promoting fair treatment for all Victorians, and advocating for a diverse and inclusive state.

WorkSafe Advisory

WorkSafe Advisory is available between 8:00 am and 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

1800 136 089 More contact options

Translating and interpreting service

Call 131 450 to translate this information or to speak to WorkSafe in your language.

For more information about this free service, visit Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).

For people with hearing or speech loss

An effective way for you to contact us is using the National Relay Service.

Related information