(b) Reference Group
The Commission established a Reference
Group for the Inquiry with eight members
who represented key stakeholder streams,
including employer groups, unions,
government, community organisations
and academic and legal experts. The
Reference Group convened four times
over the course of the Inquiry, and
provided advice and guidance on the
Inquiry approach and methodology,
consultation mechanisms, identification
of best practice, analysis of findings and
development of recommendations.
Reference Group members also
provided assistance to the Commission
by organising, hosting and facilitating
the participation of stakeholders in
consultations, hosting roundtable events,
and helping to disseminate information
and communications to support Inquiry
processes.
The Reference Group was chaired by
Kate Jenkins, the Sex Discrimination
Commissioner. Other members of the
Reference Group were:
• Professor Marian Baird AO,
Head of the Discipline of Work
and Organisational Studies, the
University of Sydney Business
School
• Michelle Baxter, Chief Executive
Officer, Safe Work Australia
• Jonathon Hunyor, Chief Executive
Officer, Public Interest Advocacy
Centre
• Theresa Moltoni OAM, President
(and Non-Executive Director),
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Queensland
• Michele O’Neil, President,
Australian Council of Trade
Unions
• Rachael Uebergang, Director,
Northern Territory Working
Women’s Centre
• Innes Willox, Chief Executive, the
Australian Industry Group.
(c) Consultation and engagement
The Commission aimed to consult as
widely as possible about experiences of,
and approaches to, sexual harassment in
Australian workplaces. The Commission
ensured that multiple avenues were
available for people to engage with the
Inquiry, including:
• a website and a subscriptionbased e-newsletter
• an online submissions process
• a Conversation Toolkit
• public community consultations
across Australia
• targeted group and individual
consultations with key
stakeholders.
• Trish Bergin/Catherine Hawkins,
First Assistant Secretary, Office
for Women, Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet
Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces • 2020 • 55