• Disrupting the System – Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Male Champions of Change
  Amanda Watt, contributor.

Education
BComm, LLB (Hons), LLM, GAICD

• Australia and New Zealand Education Law Association
• Australian Human Resources Institute - Certified Professional (CAHRI)
• Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
• Australian Institute of Administration Law
• Industrial Relations Society of Victoria
• Law Institute of Victoria

• New Respect@Work Bill shifts the focus from response to prevention
  

  The Respect@Work Bill enables the systemic prevention of sexual harassment, sex-based harassment and discrimination, hostile work environments and victimisation by imposing a positive duty on employers to eliminate this conduct as far as possible. Ancillary amendments are proposed to the Respect@Work Act 2021.

• Point of View: Amanda Watt on workplace sexual harassment
  

  Amanda highlights a systemic and cultural shift towards preventing workplace sexual harassment in Australia, emphasizing the importance of ership, transparency, and a safety-first approach.

   

• How to create respectful workplaces
  

  The Respect@Work Act shifted Australia's regulatory focus to the systematic prevention of sexual harassment, sex-based harassment and discrimination, hostile work environments and victimisation. What action should organisations be taking to create safe and respectful workplaces? What questions should boards and executives be asking?

   

• The risky business of ignoring diversity and inclusion: An interview with Debby Blakey, Chief Executive Officer of HESTA
  

  The business case for diversity and inclusion at the top of our corporations has been soundly made, and many ers have issued rallying cries to do better. Partner and Board Director Amanda Watt in conversation with Debby Blakey, CEO, HESTA

• Funding the fight against domestic violence: report
  

  MinterEllison has developed a report on Australian public financing of initiatives addressing domestic, family and sexual violence.

• Transforming workplace responses to prevent sexual harassment
  

  A recent Champions of Change Coalition report outlines a new way of thinking about how organisations can transform their response and reporting systems to provide safe workplaces and prevent sexual harassment and related unlawful behaviours in workplaces.

• Respect@Work: Positive duty guidance launched
  

  The Australian Human Rights Commission has just released practical guidance for organisations on how to comply with the positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act.

• A new Australian system to combat workplace harassment
  

  With recent updates to Respect@Work and Fair Work legislation, and Workplace, Health and Safety obligations, organisations must navigate these complementary regulatory frameworks which form part of an emerging Australians system to prevent harm in the workplace. As organisations shift their focus from zero tolerance, to zero harm – prevention is critical.

• New protections for equal access under Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws
  

  Recent changes to the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) have been passed by the Commonwealth Parliament.

• Positive duty will transform how employers approach workplace sexual harassment
  

  New form NDAs will be a key factor in demonstrating positive duty

• Respect@Work Act is now law
  

  The Federal Government's Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Respect@Work Act) is now law.

• Transforming NDAs to prevent sexual harassment
  

  Without greater transparency over how organisations deal with sexual harassment, the behaviour can continue unabated. A 'new form NDA' builds in transparency with the complainant's consent and retains their agency to tell their story at the time of their choosing, should they wish to do so.

• A significant step forward - Respect@Work Act 2021 passed
  

  Today, the Government's legislative response to the Australian Human Rights Commission's Respect@Work Report was passed.

• Start managing sexual harassment in the workplace differently
  

  Safework Australia has released its guide on preventing workplace sexual harassment. We review the Guide's key processes to minimise the risks of sexual harassment in the workplace and what business should do.

• Transforming prevention of sexual harassment
  

  Overview of the Champions of Change Coalition report: Disrupting the System – Preventing and responding to sexual harassment in the workplace

• Balancing transparency and confidentiality key to managing workplace sexual harassment
  

  The confidentiality and transparency principles advocated by the Champions of Change report, Disrupting the System, are aimed at creating a culture of prevention.

• September 'Global Climate Strikes': what employers need to consider
  

  Global climate protests on 20 September pose reputational risks for businesses if they do not prepare to manage a number of issues. These include requests about employee participation, increasing external stakeholder interest in climate change and broad based demands for governments to take action.