VMA Respect@Work webinar recording available on YouTube

The Visual Media Association (VMA) has released a recording of a webinar covering the Respect@Work Report, initially conducted for association members.

A change in The Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Cth) amended the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), which is effective from 12 December, requires employers to shift their focus to actively preventing workplace sex harassment and discrimination, rather than responding only after it occurs. The new positive duty imposes a legal obligation on employers to take proactive and meaningful action to prevent workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination, sex-based harassment, and conduct that amounts to subjecting a person to a hostile workplace environment on the grounds of sex and victimisation from occurring in the workplace or connection to work.

“Against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement in 2018 and in recognition of the ongoing prevalence of sexual harassment, the former government held a national inquiry resulting in a wide variety of recommendations. With these legislative amendments, the current government has sought to move from a reactive to a proactive approach to the issue. This results in employers having positive duties to eliminate, as far as possible, sexual harassment and related victimisation from occurring within workplaces,” commented Charles Watson, GM – IR, Policy & Governance, VMA.

Additionally, new regulatory powers have been conferred on the Australian Human Rights Commission from mid-December to investigate and enforce compliance with the positive duty. The VMA conducted a seminar for industry to understand how the new laws impact obligations as employers and how businesses can comply with the new laws. In addition to the seminar, the VMA has provided its members with relevant tools and resources for customisation and implementation into workplaces.“Our industry carries a strong track record across compliance to these matters, and we want this to continue. The webinar is available publicly for all of industry with additional support across templated policies and checklists for members. I urge every business across the industry to watch the webinar and continue to implement the Respect@Work requirements within your companies. This is not a one-off administrational process; we need to continue our discussions and programs throughout the year with all employees and build positive duty into our organisational cultures,” commented Kellie Northwood, Chief Executive Officer, VMA.

Various proactive tools and resources are available to VMA members to assist in their compliance on this issue. This includes related policies and procedures, leadership statements, and a workplace checklist to identify potential risks and specific actions needed to ensure an inclusive, safe and respectful workplace. VMA members can contact the VMA Workplace Relations team to manage company-specific issues.

The now publicly released webinar recoding can be watched on YouTube at :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQGOZXQKlyU