The approaching enforcement powers for Respect@Work

The positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace became law last December, and the one-year grace period employers were given to comply is about to expire. Here, we dive into the work employers must do to ensure compliance with the new duty. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by byrne∙dean head of strategy Samantha Mangwana to discuss the significance of last year’s Respect@Work reforms, the positive duty to report and eliminate unlawful conduct, how that new duty can be applied in post-pandemic working environments, and penalties or enforcement actions that regulators can take. Ms Mangwana also reflects on the seven standards for organisations to comply with, the headline structural and cultural challenges for legal employers to navigate, the actions that those employers must immediately take, and her level  of optimism that legal workplaces can and will be able to make progress moving forward. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!