ARTICLE · 01 APRIL 2025

Federal code on sexual harassment

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Code of Practice aims at providing practical guidance to employers to help protect workers from workplace sexual harassment.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

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Earlier this month, the Federal Government published a Code of Practice aimed at providing practical guidance to employers to help protect workers from workplace sexual harassment. Titled the 'Work Health and Safety (Sexual and Gender-based Harassment) Code of Practice 2025" (the Code), this document is designed to assist employers to manage health and safety risks arising from sexual and gender-based harassment at work.

We have briefly outlined the sections of the Code below.

Introduction

The Code applies to the performance of work and to all workplaces covered by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) (WHS Act).

The Code begins by providing guidance around what behaviour is considered to be sexual and gender-based harassment, and where this type of conduct may occur. The Code defines sexual harassment as "any unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended,

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