SH.22.01
Understanding and addressing sexual harassment in the Australian retail sector
June 2024
This national study found that retail is a high-risk industry for workplace sexual harassment.
Retail is a vital national industry. The retail industry employs 9 per cent of all Australians, is the second largest employer of Australian women and the second largest employer of young workers.
Sexual harassment in the workplace harms employee wellbeing, career progression and earnings, team cohesion, and the success of businesses and the national economy.
Research aim/s
This project investigated how employees and managers in the Australian retail sector understand, experience and manage sexual harassment at work. This research can inform targeted actions to address and prevent sexual harassment in retail workplaces.
Methods
This mixed methods study combines quantitative analysis of data from four large surveys with analysis of new qualitative data, collected through in-depth interviews with key retail stakeholders and targeted focus groups with retail store managers and retail workers.
The research project provides evidence-based recommendations to support stakeholders to prevent and address sexual harassment at work.
Significance
The report, published under ANROWS’s Sexual Harassment Research Program (SHRP) offers new and crucial insights into the complex dynamics that shape sexual harassment in the retail sector.
The new evidence base can inform industry-level responses, including tailored strategies and responses for “high-risk” groups, aligning with new legal obligations under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) requiring proactive measures to prevent unlawful conduct related to sexual harassment (positive duty).
Researchers
Project leads
Professor Rae Cooper AO, University of Sydney
Professor Elizabeth Hill, University of Sydney
Research team
Dr Suneha Seetahu, University of Sydney
Dr Meraiah Foley, University of Sydney
Marnie Harris, University of Sydney
Charlotte Hock, University of Sydney
Amy Tapsell, University of Sydney
Research partners
The project included an advisory board comprising representatives from the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian National University alongside representatives from the retail sector across Australia:
- Julia Fox, National Assistant Secretary, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA)
- Katie Biddlestone, National Industrial Officer and National Women’s Officer, SDA
- Claire Neale, Assistant Industrial Officer, SDA
- Paul Zahra, CEO, Australian Retailers Association, (ARA)
- Jason Robertson, Director of Policy, Sustainability and Impact, ARA
- Kate Jenkins AO, Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
- Professor Ariadne Vromen, Sir John Bunting Chair of Public Administration, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU)
- Elke Taylor, Senior Policy Officer, Department of Communities Western Australia
- Abbey Kendall, Director, Working Women’s Centre, South Australia (WWCSA).
Downloads
RESEARCH REPORT
“Just another day in retail”: Understanding and addressing workplace sexual harassment in the Australian retail industry
View more
RESEARCH SUMMARY
In Brief: “Just another day in retail”: Understanding and addressing workplace sexual harassment in the Australian retail industry
View moreBudget
$170,000 (excluding GST)
This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.