1 in 4 workers won’t report witnessing sexual harassment

Despite decades of training, policies, and awareness campaigns, the continued prevalence of sexual harassment and inconsistent reporting is signalling the need for more targeted action and more inclusive workplaces.

According to previously unreleased data within the Diversity Council of Australia’s (DCA) 2025-2026 Inclusion@Work Index, there is a cultural gap within workplaces, with more than 700 employees confessing they would do nothing after witnessing sexual harassment.

From a pool of approximately 3,000 nationally, 18 per cent of workers experienced sexual harassment within the last year, and of this proportion, over a fifth did not report it.

Of those that did, the most common responses from employers were an apology (14 per cent), an informal conversation with the harasser (13 per cent), or an assurance that the employer would monitor the situation. Reportedly, only 10 per cent took disciplinary action against the perpetrator – leaving 13 per cent that didn’t take any action that the victim was aware of, and 10 per cent of workers who themselves were punished for speaking up.

The harassment itself was conducted through inappropriate comments, intrusive questions, unwanted touching, sexual exposure and the sharing of images. While these behaviours lie on a spectrum, something at the milder end can and often does escalate; it is no surprise, then, that the report highlighted how workers who experienced sexually suggestive comments or jokes were nine times more likely to eventually report inappropriate physical conduct.

The Index did find, however, that workers were around two times less likely to experience sexual harassment if they worked at an inclusive workplace. According to DCA CEO, Catherine Hunter, these are simply organisations where people are “respected, safe and able to do their best at work”.

She continued: “When workplaces are inclusive, harmful behaviour is challenged early, leaders are clear about what’s acceptable, and people feel safe to speak up without fear of repercussions.”

Sexual harassment prevention, therefore, “is not just about individual behaviour, it’s about workplace culture”.

Hunter said that employers often lean towards training and policies alone, characterising harassment as the behaviour of a few individuals. Real change, she said, “shows up in everyday actions and behaviours”.

For HR managers, she identified that clarity and consistency are key to supporting employees through already uncomfortable processes.

“That means making reporting pathways simple and trusted, equipping managers to act early, and stepping in before issues escalate,” as well as “tracking outcomes, not just complaints, to understand whether people genuinely feel safe to speak up and whether responses are preventing further harm”.

This also requires transparency in data collection, reporting, and “accountability for outcomes, not just policies on paper”.

Current data – especially the 24 per cent of recently surveyed workers who are clearly not comfortable or trusting enough in the system to report witnessed behaviour – signals just how pressing these changes are.

To support and strengthen existing and important legislation, such as Positive Duty, Hunter noted the importance of “strong and consistent enforcement, so prevention obligations are taken seriously across all workplaces” and prevention that is “built into core workplace systems”.

Hunter surmised: “People leaders have a critical role in changing that by making it easier and safer to challenge behaviour, and by supporting workers to step in safely as active bystanders.”

“When people trust the system and know they’ll be backed, that’s when cultural change can really start to take hold.”

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