Boss Exploited Trainee’s Anxiety in $125K Sexual Harassment Case
A 20-year-old disabled trainee with severe anxiety and OCD has been awarded $125,000 for the workplace sexual harassment she experienced from her boss. The 41-year-old boss asked the trainee about her sexual fantasies and if she would have sex with him. The boss and his business refused to engage with conciliation and filed no formal […]
Board’s ‘Disgraceful’ Refusal to Dismiss Sexual Harasser Led to Forced Resignation
A Perth communications manager who was forced to resign after being covertly filmed and sexually harassed has scored a big win at the Fair Work Commission. The employer’s board decided to keep the harasser in his director role despite the substantiated workplace sexual harassment allegations. Instead of dismissal, the employer restricted the harasser to attend […]
‘Pinned and Kissed’: Migrant Waitress Wins $90K Sexual Harassment Payout
An immigrant cafe waitress has been awarded over $50,000 as part of a landmark sexual harassment ruling. The cafe owner had pinned the waitress to a sink and kissed her without consent, then pressured her to keep the incident a secret. The owner was also forced to pay the victim over $30,000 for stealing her […]
Casino Dealer Wins $126K for Sexual Harassment
A dealer at Brisbane’s The Star casino who faced sexual harassment from her manager has won more than $126,000 in compensation. The dealer had reported an earlier instance of sexual harassment to her manager, who told her “I would have done a lot worse to you.” He later sexually assaulted her in a Brisbane mall […]
A landmark moment for workplace safety and accountability
A recent ruling in the Federal Circuit and Family Court has sent a powerful signal across Australian workplaces, marking what many are calling a watershed moment in how sexual harassment is addressed under employment law. In what has been widely described as a landmark decision, a café owner was ordered to pay $90,000 in damages […]
From Empowerment to Exploitation: What the OneTaste Case Teaches Every Worker About Speaking Up
The recent sentencing of Nicole Daedone, founder of OneTaste, to nine years in prison has sparked global attention. While the case has been framed as a criminal matter involving forced labour conspiracy, it raises much broader concerns about workplace exploitation, coercion, and sexual misconduct. For workers across Australia, this case is not just a distant […]
Sexual Harassment Criteria Explained: Why Some Claims Fail and What It Means
A recent case reported by Daily Mail has reignited debate around what actually constitutes sexual harassment at work and why some claims succeed while others fail. The story centred on a saleswoman who alleged that her colleagues placed bets on who would sleep with her, conduct she described as humiliating and degrading. After pursuing legal […]
Has Sexual Harassment Increased in the Trump Era? Harassment Trump and Workplace Culture
The question of whether sexual harassment has increased in the Trump era is not simply a matter of statistics. It is a question about norms, permission, power and silence. It asks whether the world’s most visible political figure reshaped how harassment is understood, excused, minimised, or emboldened, particularly in workplaces where power imbalances already exist. […]
A Kiss, Emojis and ‘Love you’: Fair Work Confirms this is Sexual Harassment
A Woolworths manager has lost his bid to reclaim his job after the Fair Work Commission found he had sexually harassed a colleague 34 years his junior. The manager had subjected her to months of unwelcome conduct, repeatedly calling her “beautiful,” sending heart and kiss emojis and pressuring her to go out with him. He […]
Breaking the Silence: Victoria’s Landmark Restrictions on NDAs in Workplace Sexual Harassment Cases
For a long period of time, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have played a key role in dispute resolution processes across Australian workplaces. However, particularly in sexual harassment matters. This is because confidentiality clauses became imbedded into the routine. They have been positioned to have provided a neutral and unbiased method to finalise disputes. And a way […]