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Sexual harassment prevention plan: required from 1 March 2025

Doing business in Queensland? You’ll need a sexual harassment prevention plan by March 2025.

From 1 March 2025, business owners and/or operators must prepare a Prevention Plan to manage an identified risk to the health and safety of workers from workplace sexual harassment, sex-based harassment or gender-based harassment.

The Prevention Plan must:

  • be in writing and state each identified risk;
  • identify the control measures implemented, or to be implemented, to manage each identified risk;
  • identify the matters considered in determining the control measures;
  • describe the consultation undertaken with workers;
  • set out the procedure for dealing with reports of harassment at work, including but not limited to how a person may make a report, how the report will be investigated, and how the person will be informed of the results of the investigation;
  • be expressed in a way that is readily accessible and understandable; and
  • be reviewed every three years or sooner if a report of sexual harassment is made or if a health and safety committee or representative requests a review.

The requirement for employers to implement a Prevention Plan is the second provision from changes to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 regarding the prevention of sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment at work. The first provision, commencing 1 September 2024, saw the introduction of express obligations regarding the proactive management and prevention of risks to health and safety from sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment at work.

Don’t operate in Queensland?

You’re not off the hook: from 1 September 2024, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) in any state must proactively manage the risk to health and safety at work from sexual harassment or sex or gender-based harassment. Translation? You need to hold policies and procedures to specifically address this issue. And training your staff on the topic is a smart place to start.

Need help with HR? Bare Bones Consulting is your go-to resource: one stop, plain English, no lock-in contracts and genuine experience at HR Manager-level across corporate, blue collar and FIFO sectors. Sound good? Call us for a chat. We’ll get you where you want to be.

  • PO Box 3956,
    Burleigh Town 4220,
    Queensland
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  • Bare Bones Consulting

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Note: Bare Bones Consulting provides HR services for employers. Employees seeking advice on workplace concerns should contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.