What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that may make a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.
The behaviour can be physical, verbal or visual and includes some of the following behaviours:
- sexually suggestive jokes or comments
- intrusive questions about a person’s private life or body
- unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing
- inappropriate staring or leering
- inappropriate physical contact
- insults or taunts based on gender or sexual preference
- unwanted invitations to go out on dates or requests for sex
- sharing or communicating content of a sexual nature via text, email, online, social media or other technology
Sexual harassment can be perpetrated by anyone in your workplace, including a co-worker, a more senior co-worker, supervisor or manager, or anyone else who comes into your workplace such as a customer or contractor.
Even if you are not the target of the sexual behaviour, you may also experience sexual harassment if you witness or are exposed to the sexual harassment of another person.
Prevalence of workplace sexual harassment
Retail is a high-risk industry for sexual harassment. A recent survey showed that 40% of retail workers have experienced sexual harassment in the past 5 years.
Retail workers experience sexual harassment at a higher rate than the general working population. So much so that sexual harassment is often seen as ‘just part of the job.’
In the last five years, 39% of SDA members said that they have been sexually harassed at work.
Female SDA members (46%) were more likely than their male colleagues (29%) to have experienced workplace sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment by customers
The customer-facing, interactive nature of retail work means that customer perpetrated sexual harassment is prevalent in the retail industry.
21% of SDA members said they have been sexually harassed by a customer in their current job.
Customers were the harassers in 36% of workplace sexual harassment cases.
Of SDA members who had been sexually harassed by a customer:
- 75% had experienced this more than once.
- 54% had experienced this in the previous six months.
A recent study showed that while women are more likely to experience sexual harassment perpetrated by a customer than men (38% and 20%), men are more likely to experience harassment from a co-worker or manager (81% and 60%).
What can you do if you or someone you work with is sexually harassed?
Sexual harassment can be stopped.
If you have been sexually harassed at work or you witness someone being sexually harassed, you have a range of options to deal with this:
Write it down:
Write down incidents of sexual harassment as they happen. This will be useful if you decide to make a complaint, particularly if the incident/s occur over a period of time.
You should capture the following information:
- The date of the incident, including anything relevant that happened before and after.
- Where it took place.
- Who was there and whether there were witnesses (to the incident and/or anything that happened before and after).
- What happened and what was said by whom.
- Why you believe that what was said or done was sexual harassment.
- How the incident made you feel.
Talk to the harasser:
If you feel comfortable and confident, you can approach the harasser and tell them that their behaviour is unacceptable and unwanted, and ask them to stop the behaviour.
Do not approach the harasser if you feel it could endanger your safety in any way.
Tell someone – get advice:
If you are not comfortable talking to the harasser, or if the behaviour is of a criminal nature, or it continues, speak to someone you trust at your workplace about what is happening.
This can be your SDA Shop Steward, Delegate, Health & Safety Representative or SDA Organiser, or you can contact the SDA for confidential advice and/or assistance.
Reporting of Workplace Sexual Harassment
Only 13% of SDA members who have experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last five years made a formal report or complaint in relation to the most recent incident.
Advice provided by the SDA is on a confidential basis, and the SDA will only act on your behalf in relation to a complaint if this is what you want and you authorise the Union to do so.
Make a report or complaint to your employer (such as/through your supervisor or store manager)
You have a right to make a report or complaint if you have been sexually harassed at work.
Your workplace will have a process in place for how to make a complaint or report. If you don’t feel comfortable or are unsure of how to make a complaint, the SDA can provide you with assistance with how to do this.
Make an external complaint:
Depending on the nature of the harassment, there is a range of external options for assistance.
Please contact the SDA for advice about the options available to you and to provide assistance throughout the process.
You can contact the SDA on 07 3833 9500 or visit us on the web at sda.au/qld
What will the SDA do?
Advice provided by the SDA is on a confidential basis, and the SDA will only act on your behalf in relation to a complaint if this is what you want and you authorise the Union to do so.
Make a report or complaint to your employer (such as/through your supervisor or store manager)
You have a right to make a report or complaint if you have been sexually harassed at work.
Your workplace will have a process in place for how to make a complaint or report. If you don’t feel comfortable or are unsure of how to make a complaint, the SDA can provide you with assistance with how to do this.
Make an external complaint:
Depending on the nature of the harassment, there is a range of external options for assistance.
Please contact the SDA for advice about the options available to you and to provide assistance throughout the process.
You can contact the SDA on 07 3833 9500 or visit us on the web at sda.au/qld
If you or someone you know needs urgent support
The SDA is totally committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our members’ workplaces. Sexual harassment is a serious form of sex discrimination, and a health and safety issue.
The SDA treats complaints of sexual harassment seriously and sympathetically and commits to dealing with them promptly and confidentially.
The SDA will ensure, to the extent we are able, that complaints will be fully investigated by the employer in an impartial manner, and that the resolution is just and equitable.
The SDA will also act to ensure that all steps are taken by employers to prevent further sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace.
Lifeline
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
www.beyondblue.org.au
Kids Helpline
1800 55 1800
www.kidshelpline.com.au
The National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Counselling Service
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)www.1800respect.org.au