More employees in Australia feeling unsafe while at work

Employees in Australia are experiencing a rising amount of psychosocial harm in the workplace, with more than two-thirds of respondents in a recent survey saying they had experienced bullying at work in the past year.

This is particularly prevalent for employees in small businesses, with 70% of employees saying they have been bullied in the last year, according to a new survey commissioned by the New South Wales government and the Centre for Work Health and Safety (WHS).

Surveying 1,017 employees in Australia, the survey also found that employees in larger organisations experienced higher levels of burnout due to the demands of the job. Sector wise, healthcare employees felt more exposed to hazards, including harassment and bullying, with results showing sexual harassment is more predominant in healthcare workplaces.

Individuals who felt the most vulnerable in the workplace consisted of female-identified and diverse-identified employees such as First Nations Australians, migrants, LGBTQIA+ or disabled communities, who notably reported more frequent experiences of harassment and sexual harassment. These employees, along with young employees joining the workplace, reportedly felt less aware of their rights as well as the responsibilities of how their employers should look after them, and felt less empowered to participate in WHS.

READ MORE: Australia strengthens workplace protection for vulnerable employees

Calling for more workplaces to provide better resources that protect employees, Andrew Gavrielatos, SafeWork NSW Executive Director of Community Engagement, said, “We are seeing continued economic pressures, such as inflation and supply chain disruption, challenging the attitudes and the priority business place on health, safety, and worker wellbeing. If you are in business in NSW there is no excuse for cutting safety for the sake of productivity or profit.”