• Existing research has shown that in most incidents of workplace sexual harassment the harasser is male. Harassers are often co-workers, supervisors, senior people in the workplace, or third parties such as customers or clients. Some harassers have been able to sexually harass multiple victims, sometimes across different workplaces, over long periods of time. • Sexual harassment is more prevalent in some workplaces than in others. Workplace settings where there is a higher risk of experiencing sexual harassment include those where the prevalence rate has been found by the 2018 National Survey to be higher than the rate across all industries; that are male dominated; that involve a high level of contact with customers and clients; or that are characterised by hierarchical workplace or training structures. • In rural, regional and remote workplaces, factors such as geographic isolation, lower population density and cultural and social dimensions can increase the risk of sexual harassment and create barriers to reporting. • Small businesses face particular challenges in addressing workplace sexual harassment. The small nature of the workforce, the workspace and high degree of informal and personal interactions, can increase the risk of sexual harassment and create barriers to reporting. Small businesses often lack the resources and skills to handle complaints. • Workplace sexual harassment has significant health, employment, and financial impacts on individuals, on workplace productivity and on the broader economy. Economic modelling commissioned as part of the Inquiry conservatively estimates the total cost to the Australian economy as $3.8 billion. • Additional data is needed to understand the full extent of the long and short term impacts of workplace sexual harassment, its costs and trends over time, and the level of investment to prevent and address this problem in Australian workplaces. • A National Sexual Harassment Research Agenda should be developed to provide a coordinated method for identifying national research priorities. This will contribute to an evidence base that can inform policy and practice to address sexual harassment. In developing the National Sexual Harassment Research Agenda, consideration should be given to the findings of the 2018 National Survey and issues and evidence gaps identified in this Inquiry. Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces • 2020 • 93