Workplace sexual harassment investigations too adversarial and focused on risks to reputation, report finds

One-third of Australian workers have been sexually harassed at work in the past three years, but less than 20 per cent made a formal complaint amid fears their managers or workplace would not take them seriously or the investigation would be overly harsh.

Reporting and response systems are failing organisations and people, according to a new report by the Champions of Change Coalition, a group of chief executives, company directors and government department leaders founded by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick — with harassment often continuing when there was no change or a lack of support.