On Monday 28 November, the Anti-discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022 (Cth) was passed by Federal Parliament.

Amongst other measures, the Bill amends existing laws to impose a positive duty on employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace.  

Reasonable and proportionate measures will depend on factors such as the size of your business, the resources you have available, and the practicality of any steps.  

We recommend you consider how you would demonstrate compliance with this duty. It may involve implementing or updating policies, collecting or monitoring data, and or providing appropriate support to employees and relevant training on a periodic basis.

The Respect at Work website has resources and information on how you can create a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace.

The Bill will come into effect the day after it receives the royal assent, which is likely to be in the coming days. Once law, the new positive duty will operate alongside existing duties under health and safety and equal opportunity laws.

If you would like further information, please contact the MBV EIR team on (03) 9411 4555.