In this article, originally published by Safe Work Australia, we share with Australian medical women new national work health and safety guidelines.
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New national work health and safety guidance has been developed by Safe Work Australia.
The new resources provide practical guidance to businesses to help them prevent workplace sexual harassment, violence, aggression and domestic violence.
Under Australia’s model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, employers must proactively manage risks to health and safety arising from work. This includes both physical and mental health. The new information provides guidance to anyone who has a WHS duty to protect the health and safety of workers.
Preventing workplace sexual harassment
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s report on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces highlighted how prevalent sexual harassment is and the harm it is causing.
But there is a lot that employers can do beyond responding to complaints.
WHS duties require employers do everything they reasonably can to prevent sexual harassment from occurring at work, just like other risks to health and safety.
The new Guide: Preventing workplace sexual harassment is the first comprehensive WHS guidance in Australia to focus on preventing sexual harassment. The guidance supports business and organisations to meet their WHS duties with practical steps to identify risks and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
The guide is supported by information sheets for small businesses and workers:
- Preventing workplace sexual harassment – guidance for small business
- Workplace sexual harassment – advice for workers
For more information, go to the Workplace sexual harassment web page.
Preventing workplace violence and aggression
The Guide: Preventing workplace violence and aggression provides information for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), such as employers, on how to manage the risk of violence and aggression in the workplace, including gendered violence.
The guide is supported by information sheets for small businesses and workers:
- Workplace violence and aggression – guidance for small business
- Workplace violence and aggression – advice for workers
The information sheet Family and domestic violence has been developed to provide PCBUs with guidance on managing the risk of family and domestic violence at the workplace. The information sheet provides guidance on how businesses can help provide a safe environment for workers and where to seek more advice.
For more information, go to the Workplace violence and aggression web page.
Originally published: safeworkaustralia.gov.au/media-centre/news/preventing-workplace-sexual-harassment-violence-and-aggression
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
