Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is an unwelcome advance or request for sexual favours, or any other unwelcome sexual conduct towards the person being harassed.
Sexual harassment includes behaviour that makes the environment unpleasant in an uncomfortable or threatening way, such as sexually offensive pictures or a culture of suggestive comments or jokes.
Harassment is wherever there is a reasonable possibility the person being harassed would be:
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Intimidated
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Offended, or
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Humiliated
Examples of harassment include:
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Inappropriate physical contact or unnecessary familiarity, i.e. unwelcome touching or deliberately brushing up against a person
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Suggestive jokes or comments - including intrusive questioning about a person’s life or body
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A request for sex
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An insult or taunt of a sexual nature
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Unwanted, offensive and invasive interpersonal communication through technology such as mobile phones, social media, etc.
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Indecent exposure
Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment includes behaviour that makes your environment feel uncomfortable or threatening, such as a culture of sexually suggestive comments or jokes. What may be sexual harassment in one situation may not be interpreted as harassment in another but, if you don’t feel comfortable, something is wrong. The intention of the harasser does not matter.
It becomes a workplace issue whenever this harassment takes place during a work-related activity, including while attending social events as a work group and while travelling for work.
Raising an issue like sexual harassment can be challenging, especially when you live and work alongside the same people all of the time, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have any options.
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If you feel safe to do so, calmly and firmly state your boundaries to your harasser
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If possible, raise your concerns with your manager or overseer
If these attempts are unsuccessful or you are not in a safe position to speak out about the behaviour, you can find reporting options here.
