Our Approach
We believe that inclusion, safety and respect are fundamental principles that drive employee engagement, productivity, and overall organisational success. Our approach is strategic and collaborative, working closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and challenges, and developing tailored solutions that align with their organisational values and goals.
How we can help
Check – we can review and see how aligned your policies, processes and practices are to the new legislation and provide you with a report so you know where you are up to and where you need to go next.
Design & Refine – we can design and create new policy, programs and practices ensuring you meet not only legislative compliance but go that step further towards increased respect, safety and inclusion. We can also update and amend existing policies, ensuring alignment to your unique context.
Talk – we build communications plans, materials and resources to help you communicate your expectations more broadly, going hat step further towards increased respect, safety and inclusion. We help you create the momentum and how to talk about it.
Training & Workshops – we have both ‘ready to go’ and customised training options. Highly interactive workshops for all employees covering topics such as legislation, policy and practice, psychological safety, bystander behaviour, inclusive language.
Let’s work together to enable safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces for everyone.
Book a no obligation, hassle free chat to see how we can support you.
What’s Changed?
The past few years have seen fundamental shifts in how we look at behaviour, respect and safety at work. We’ve seen a significant change in the way we not only think about workplace behaviour and culture but also expectations. In late 2022, significant changes occurred to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 so that this expectation is also now legislated including:
- prevention vs response focus – the focus has shifted to prevention of sexual harassment and not just on the ways in which businesses or organisations respond when it occurs. This means that understanding risks, policies and processes, training, awareness and communicating of expectations are vital parts of ensuring a preventative approach.
- positive duty – employers need to take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent and eliminate sexual harassment, conduct creating a hostile work environment, or acts of victimisation against another person. The role of a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has always had this responsibility, but now the focus is even clearer that worker health and safety isn’t just physical but also psychological health.
As of 12 December 2023, additional changes to the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 also mean that:
- The Australian Human Rights Commission (‘the AHRC’) can enforce the positive duty obligation imposed under the Sex Discrimination Act including preparing and publishing guidelines for compliance and undertake research, inquire into matters of systemic or suspected systemic unlawful discrimination and non-compliance.
- The AHRC can also deal with complaints received up to 2 years after the alleged behaviour.
These changes are significant and cannot be ignored by any organisation. There is never a better time to take a proactive approach to ensure you meet the new requirements.
Diversify consulting - Home 