A recent SafeWork NSW compliance program has revealed gaps in how pubs and hospitality venues across the state are managing sexual harassment as a workplace safety issue.
Over a two-month inspection campaign, SafeWork NSW’s Respect at Work Taskforce visited 38 hospitality venues, including pubs, assessing whether they had adequate controls in place to prevent sexual harassment, which is classed as a psychosocial hazard under work health and safety law.
The program resulted in 16 improvement notices issued to 11 venues. Key issues identified included insufficient consultation with staff on managing workplace risks, limited staff training on incident response, and a lack of detailed risk assessments specific to sexual harassment in the hospitality context.
SafeWork NSW Director Capability and Engagement, Christina Hey-Nguyen said: “Sexual harassment in any workplace is unacceptable. However, we know that hospitality workers face a higher-than-average risk of experiencing sexual harassment – whether due to the service of alcohol, late night work or the expectation that customer needs are prioritised over worker safety and respect.
“This inspection program across 38 NSW hospitality venues demonstrates that progress is being made, however more needs to be done including across the areas of leadership, training, reporting and work design, to ensure the health and safety of the hospitality workers.
“As the workplace safety regulator, SafeWork NSW has increased its focus on this pervasive harm and urges the hospitality industry to take proactive steps to protect its workers from sexual harassment”.
While 92 per cent of the venues visited had some form of system in place to identify the risk of sexual harassment, eight venues failed to consider a full range of contributing factors, such as late trading hours, alcohol service, and close customer interaction.
SafeWork NSW highlighted several areas where pub operators can improve:
- Workplace consultation: Venues are encouraged to actively engage staff in discussions to identify and manage risks, including sexual harassment.
- Training: Only 82 per cent of venues were providing training on sexual harassment. Best practice includes mandatory, tailored training for all staff and management.
- Reporting and response systems: Most venues offered pathways for reporting sexual harassment, but many lacked proper processes for investigating and acting on complaints.
- Support and resources: Some venues expressed a need for ongoing guidance on how to implement effective prevention strategies.
SafeWork NSW has made resources available via its Respect at Work website, including a tailored guide for hospitality operators and the NSW Code of Practice for sexual and gender-based harassment.
Hospitality workers are urged to report unsafe practices directly to their employers. If the issue is not addressed, concerns can be raised anonymously through SafeWork’s “Speak Up Save Lives” platform.
This initiative reflects the regulator’s growing focus on the hospitality industry’s responsibility to provide a safe and respectful work environment, particularly in pubs and bars where risk factors for harassment are elevated.
Workers can call SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50 or report online using the SafeWork Psychosocial Hazards Report Form.
If you’re currently in distress, please head to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for support.