A recent national study has shed light on a troubling issue in modern workplaces: workplace technology-facilitated sexual harassment (WTFSH). Conducted by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), along with Associate Professor Asher Flynn from Monash University and Professor Anastasia Powell from RMIT University, the study reveals that one in seven Australian adults acknowledge participating in this type of harassment in a workplace.
What is WTFSH?
WTFSH refers to unwelcome or harassing sexual behaviour that uses mobile, online, and digital technologies within a workplace setting. This harassment can occur during or following work hours and includes a broad range of behaviours, from inappropriate emails to unwanted messages on personal devices
Gender Disparities in WTFSH
Key findings:
-
Nearly half of the perpetrators (45%) worked in predominantly male environments.
-
Many perpetrators downplayed the severity of their actions, with 52% believing victims would be “okay with it,” 45% thinking it would be flattering, and 42% finding it humorous.
-
A significant portion of perpetrators had malicious intent, aiming to annoy (31%), humiliate (30%), frighten (30%), or hurt (30%) their victims.
-
Holding strong sexist and discriminatory attitudes was the strongest predictor of engaging in WTFSH, making individuals over 15 times more likely to participate in such behaviour.
-
Common platforms for WTFSH included work email (31%), personal phones (29%), personal email (27%), and work phones (25%).
The Need for Change
Despite the widespread occurrence of workplace technology-facilitated sexual harassment (WTFSH), less than half of the perpetrators face formal complaints or reports, highlighting the need for better reporting mechanisms and a stronger culture of accountability.
Compliance training plays a crucial role in addressing WTFSH by educating employees about acceptable behaviours and legal and ethical standards. Regular compliance training equips staff to recognise, prevent, and report WTFSH, contributing to a safer and more respectful work environment.
“The need to address this sexual harassment gap is all the more urgent. Employers need to build safety into workplace cultures and technologies to protect their staff. Likewise, policymakers must prioritise implementing effective measures to prevent and address these behaviours,”
– Dr. Tessa Boyd-Caine, CEO of ANROWS
How can Safetrac help?
Our comprehensive solutions offer:
- Top-quality compliance expertise without the hassle of building it in-house.
- Engaging learning outcomes and content covering essential topics like Diversity and Inclusion, Preventing Sexual Harassment, and more.
- Streamlined compliance training and tasks for easy auditing, reporting and review.
- Comprehensive Respect@Work toolkit designed to help organisations showcase reasonable measures in preventing sexual harassment within the workplace.
- Our Compliance Platform serves as the centralised hub for all your compliance training needs. Easily manage course content, surveys, attestations, track staff policy acceptance, uncover knowledge gaps, and report on progress—all in one convenient platform.
Our solutions enable organisations to effortlessly maintain a culture of respect and regulatory compliance, ensuring alignment with the Respect@Work Act.
