Workplace violence against women reaching unprecedented levels

Violence, aggression, and harassment against women is an incessant plague that has seemingly latched itself onto the Australian workplace, as a recent report has highlighted.

The Workplace and work-related violence and aggression in Australia report by Safe Work Australia has revealed some damaging statistics that provide a view of the prevalence, causes, and impact of the horrific violence that workers, especially women, are facing across the Australian workforce.

The report uses data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey (PSS) as a key supplement for the report.

The ABS PSS estimates that 8 million Australians (41 per cent) have experienced at least one incidence of violence since they were 15 years old. Of that 41 per cent, 13 per cent were classified as work-related incidents.

Although the physical abuse is extremely distressing, abuse can be perpetuated in various forms that can cause harm to workers. According to the report, in the last 12 months, 87 per cent of workers said they had experienced verbal abuse from a customer. In that same time frame, 12.5 per cent said they had been physically assaulted by a customer, while 9 per cent had been spat on.

The report stated that the highest incidence behaviours of workplace violence were “angry or hostile behaviour”, “shouting and swearing”, and “intimidation and insults”.

The gendered differences in the rates of violence were evident throughout the report. Despite the ABS PSS indicating that workplace violence is a significant issue among men, there has been a 73 per cent increase in claims made by women compared to a 33 per cent increase in claims made by men over the last 10 years.

The ABS PSS also highlighted the role specific workplaces play in facilitating informal reporting of incidents of violence and aggression in the workplace. Of the women who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years, 7.2 per cent sought advice or support from a work colleague or boss after the incident.

In contrast, women who experienced physical assault by a female were twice as likely to seek advice or support (15.5 per cent) from a work colleague or boss after the incident. This is where specific workplaces come into play. If the workplace is a male-dominated space, fear of being ostracised, or facing repercussions could prevent women employees from coming forward against their male counterparts, especially when power dynamics are involved.

Safe Work’s previous report on psychosocial health and safety in the workplace mentioned this very aspect, stating: “[It’s important to consider the] differences in the industries and occupations in which males and females tend to work when we consider exposures and impacts of psychosocial hazards.”

“It is equally important to consider the underlying structural features and hazards profile that give rise to the disproportionate impact on certain workers.”

The increase in workplace violence is a subject that HR Leader has previously covered, especially when it pertains to the healthcare system.

In Queensland, especially, workplace violence is rampant, and this has caused the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) Queensland secretary, Stacey Schinnerl, to call out Queensland Health.

“Our frontline health workers deserve to feel safe in the workplace, but right now, our public hospitals are anything but safe,” Schinnerl said. “The rate of violence being reported by staff wouldn’t be acceptable in any other sector.”

“Our entire workplace health and safety system is built on the premise that workers know best when it comes to their safety at work. Our members have put together a common-sense plan to address the violence they are experiencing in their workplace.”