Section 1: Introduction
• negative impact on workplace
culture
• resources associated with
responding to complaints,
litigation and workers’
compensation
• reputational damage.
Under the Terms of Reference for the
Inquiry the Commission was asked
to consider the economic impact of
workplace sexual harassment. The
Australian Government Department of
the Treasury engaged Deloitte Access
Economics (Deloitte) to undertake
the modelling. Deloitte estimated the
total financial cost of workplace sexual
harassment to the Australian economy
as $3.8 billion, noting that this was likely
to be a ’conservative estimate’.30 Lost
productivity ($2.6 billion) represented
the largest component of the estimated
economic cost of workplace sexual
harassment, with the largest share of this
borne by employers.
Together with the non-financial impacts on
victims, the very significant economic costs
provide a compelling case for investment
by governments and employers in
preventing and addressing workplace
sexual harassment.
National Sexual Harassment Research
Agenda
To address the evidence gaps identified
through this Inquiry, a National Sexual
Harassment Research Agenda should be
developed.
22
The National Sexual Harassment Research
Agenda should be guided by, amongst
other things, findings of the Commission’s
2018 National Survey, as well as the issues
and evidence gaps emerging from this
Inquiry, including:
• the prevalence and nature of
sexual harassment, particularly
technology-facilitated sexual
harassment
• risk factors that lead to greater
exposure to sexual harassment
for particular population groups,
including women, young workers,
LGBTQI workers, Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander workers,
workers with disability, workers
from CALD backgrounds, migrant
workers or workers on temporary
visas, and other vulnerable
workers
• the prevalence, nature,
reporting and impacts of sexual
harassment for workers in these
population groups
• behaviours, characteristics and
trends in relation to sexual
harassers
• risk factors that create an
environment in which sexual
harassment is more likely to
occur in particular workplace
settings, arrangements,
industries and sectors