Respect@Work legal assistance services and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcome the announcement of ongoing vital funding for 31 services that provide legal advice and representation to victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment and discrimination.
This announcement is part of the National Access to Justice Partnership, a new Federal funding agreement for legal assistance services. Services that had been funded on a temporary basis since 2021 can now consolidate their services and guarantee support to victim-survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination in an ongoing way.
Service delivery
A few examples of Respect@Work legal assistance include:
In 2022-23 Circle Green Community Legal Centre delivered
- 78 legal advice services
- 54 information and 36 legal tasks
- 8 tribunal work health and safety related legal services
- 31 capacity building opportunities.
As of December 2024, Legal Aid NSW Respect@Work Legal Service delivered
- 1736 legal advice services
- 183 minor assistance legal services
- 161 representative services
- $957,521 compensation received by clients.
As of March 2025, JobWatch has delivered
- Legal information and tailored assistance to 4,109 Victorian, Queensland and Tasmanian workers
- Advice and representative services to 205 clients
- $498,971 compensation received by clients
As of March 2025, South-East Monash Legal Service has delivered
- 490 advice and/or information services
- 53 representation services
- 20 Community engagement activities
- $193,000 compensation received by clients.
Client stories
Stories of clients assisted by Respect@Work services are provided below.
Lee
Lee is a 19-year-old woman from a CALD background, studying in Australia on a student visa. She has no family in Australia and little support.
While working as a waitress Lee’s manager regularly sexually harassed her. Lee reported the sexual harassment to a supervisor, but nothing was done. Lee was traumatised and quit her job.
Legal Aid NSW represented Lee in her conciliation at the Australian Human Rights Commission where she received $20,000 for hurt, humiliation and distress she experienced.
Rammy
Rammy is a recently arrived migrant. Rammy worked as a labourer and observed many physical hazards at his workplace. Rammy was also subject to and witnessed multiple acts of race discrimination.
When Rammy raised complaints about what he observed in the workplace with his employer, he was further verbally abused and threatened.
Rammy became unwell and was unable to attend work. Rammy was subsequently dismissed by his employer.
Westjustice assisted Rammy to lodge a legal claim. As a result of Westjustice’s assistance Rammy was able to settle his matter without the need to proceed to court and obtained $10,000 in compensation as well as a commitment with the workplace to better address and respond to workplace discrimination.
Elena
Elena was a receptionist at a suburban medical practice where one of the doctors commenced sexually harassing her.
Elena experienced devastating consequences from the doctor’s behaviour including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, panic attacks and financial hardship after she left her employment and moved outside of the area.
JobWatch represented Elena in a mediation at Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal where the matter settled for a substantial sum in her favour.
Poppy
Poppy is a young worker from a CALD background who experienced severe and repeated sexual harassment by her direct manager.
Poppy was dismissed due to poor performance which stemmed from the mental health impact of the harassment.
Redfern Legal Centre represented Poppy through several unsuccessful Fair Work Commission conciliations. With the support of pro bono counsel, Redfern Legal Centre initiated proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia, and the parties settled the claim at mediation.
Respect@Work and future funding for access to justice
AHRC Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody says,
We are pleased to see the adoption of the Respect@Work report Recommendation 53, calling for the funding of legal assistance services to provide legal advice and assistance to vulnerable workers who experience sexual harassment. We know just how vital frontline legal services are to support those who have been sexually harassed.
Since the Respect@Work report, extensive investigation has revealed the persistence of workplace sexual harassment and need for increased funding for legal assistance services.
The Australian Human Rights Commission is currently developing a report on workers’ experience of sexual harassment and developing education materials. These will focus on the experiences of culturally and racially marginalised workers, LGBQTI workers, First Nations workers, young workers and workers with disability.
More than 40% of women and 26% men have experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years.
In 2022, law reform in positive duty was a major step forward. This placed the onus on employers to proactively eliminate workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination, hostile work environments, victimisation, and sex-based harassment.
In 2024, law reform on costs protection means people can take their claims to court without the significant financial risk of having to pay the legal costs of the person, company or organisation who has harassed or discriminated against them.
Recent law reform and the funding of the Respect@Work legal assistance services is a major step forward. However, further funding for legal assistance services is needed, given the barrier of costs to seeking redress after experiencing workplace sexual harassment or discrimination. This is particularly the case for First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
Safe workplaces are critical to a fair and just society. Unsafe workplaces and persistent widespread experiences of sexual harassment means that there are still major barriers to accessing justice. The continuation of funding for Respect@Work legal assistance services is a major step forward for victim-survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination. We look forward to collaborating across organisations advocating for the critical issue of access to justice in workplaces.
Supporting services
- Disability Discrimination Legal Service
- Inner City Legal Centre
- Jobwatch
- Legal Aid New South Wales
- Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre
- National Legal Aid
- Redfern Legal Centre
- South-East Monash Legal Service
- Top End Women's Legal Service
- UNSW Kingsford Legal Centre
- Victoria Legal Aid
- Villamanta Disabilty Rights Legal Service
- Westjustice
- Women's Legal Service NSW
- Working Women’s Centre Australia
- Working Women Queensland