(ii) Understanding sexual harassment in the workplace Prevalence The Commission conducts a world leading national survey on experiences of workplace sexual harassment in Australia every four years. These surveys are an important source of data on the prevalence, nature, reporting of, impacts and responses to workplace sexual harassment in Australia. The results of the fourth national survey conducted by the Commission in 2018, Everyone’s Business: Fourth survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces (the 2018 National Survey) have informed the Commission’s findings as part of this Inquiry. The 2018 National Survey provides a clear picture of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in Australia workplaces. The results indicate that 33% of people who had been in the workforce in the previous five years said they had experienced workplace sexual harassment.5 Women (39%) were more likely than men (26%) to have experienced workplace sexual harassment in this period.6 The Commission recommends that the national survey continue to be conducted every four years to allow trend analysis to inform policy decisions, and to inform employer initiatives. There is currently little consistency in the collection, monitoring and reporting of data on workplace sexual harassment by anti-discrimination and other regulatory agencies. Effective systems for collection and reporting of consistent, de-identified data on workplace sexual harassment by the Commission, state and territory anti-discrimination agencies, Fair Work, work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation agencies, are key to the success of the new regulatory model proposed by the Commission (see Section 5). The development of formal information sharing and data exchange mechanisms regarding sexual harassment complaints between regulatory agencies, under guidance from the Workplace Sexual Harassment Council (see Recommendation 14), will also support the Commission’s proposed new regulatory model. Nature Each victim’s experience of workplace sexual harassment is unique and influenced by a range of factors. The 2018 National Survey identified a number of different types of sexually harassing behaviour including: • verbal forms of sexual harassment, such as sexually suggestive comments or jokes, intrusive questions about private life or physical appearance, repeated invitations to go on dates, or requests or pressure for sex • sexually explicit pictures, posters or gifts Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces • 2020 • 17