Review of Harassment in the South Australian Parliament Workplace

In reply to the Hon. T.A. FRANKS ().20 March 2024).

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector):

I note that it is a matter for the parliament, through its presiding officers, to undertake staff surveys and seek a SafeWork SA audit as referred to in the honourable member's question. Nonetheless, I have sought advice from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE) and am advised that parliament did not conduct a workplace employee survey in February 2024.

I am advised that SafeWork SA has been monitoring the progress of the recommendations and has reviewed the three progress reports from the Clerks of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly that have been tabled in parliament. SafeWork SA has not yet been requested to undertake a compliance audit as proposed by recommendation 14.

While not specifically directed to the parliament, the state government has taken significant action on psychosocial risks in the workplace, which was a key issue raised in the then-Acting Equal Opportunity Commissioner's report.

In 2023, the government made amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 to address psychosocial risks. The new regulations came into operation on 25 December 2023.

The amended regulations provide a framework for employers and workers to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the corresponding risk and implement reasonably practicable risk control measures.

Sexual and discriminatory harassment in the workplace, or related to the workplace, are required to be addressed under the new regulations and the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 by way of taking reasonably practicable steps to prevent risks associated with harassment.

To support the new regulations, a model code of practice for managing psychosocial hazards and a model code of practice for sexual and gender-based harassment are being prepared for consideration and approval in South Australia, as required by the Work Health and Safety Act 2012. These codes have been published as guidance material on SafeWork SA's website.