Bullying, sexual harassment & discrimination at work
Bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace are not appropriate and can be unlawful. Everyone has the right not to be bullied, sexually harassed or discriminated against at work.
Find out what you can do to prevent and stop bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination in your workplace.
On this page:
Bullying in the workplace
Everyone has the right to a workplace free from bullying.
Read our information about:
- What is bullying?
- Reasonable management action
- Protection from bullying in the workplace
- Where to get help
Sexual harassment in the workplace
Everyone has the right to a workplace free from sexual harassment.
Read our information about:
- What is sexual harassment?
- Protection from sexual harassment in the workplace
- Managing sexual harassment
- Where to get help
Protection from discrimination at work
The Fair Work Act prohibits an employer from taking adverse action against an employee or a prospective employee for discriminatory reasons, including their sex, race, religion or gender.
Read our information about:
Have a workplace problem? JESS UPDATE
Find out what to do if you think bullying or harassment has happened.
For employees:
- If you think bullying or harassment is happening at your work, talk to:
- a supervisor or manager
- a workplace health and safety representative
- the human resources department
- a union (visit the Related sites page to find registered unions in your industry).
- If you're still employed, take action at the Fair Work Commission (the Commission) to stop the bullying:
- take the Commission's eligibility quiz
- if you are eligible, lodge your application with the Commission
- read about what happens if you lodge an application and how the Commission makes decisions in their Anti-bullying Benchbook
- take the Commission's eligibility quiz
- If you have an order from the Commission to stop bullying in the workplace and it hasn't been followed, you can contact us to help enforce it by:
- calling us to speak with one of our advisers
- sending an online enquiry
- You can also take action by contacting:
- your state or territory workplace health and safety body, which can provide advice and assistance about workplace bullying as well as consider complaints of workplace bullying or provide appropriate referrals to other bodies.
- the Australian Human Rights Commission , which accepts complaints of workplace bullying, harassment or discrimination based on a person’s race, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion or disability under federal laws. The Australian Human Rights Commission uses conciliation between parties to reach a resolution.
For employers:
- Action carried out by a manager in a reasonable way isn't bullying. Download our Managing underperformance best practice guide for information about how to take reasonable management action to make sure employees are doing their job properly.
- Download the Commission's Anti-bullying guide or Anti-bullying Benchbook to find out more.
- Read Safe Work Australia's Guide for preventing and responding to workplace bullying .
