Sexual harassment and bullying are widespread in federal political offices, with a review finding nearly two-thirds of staffers were hesitant to report it because they worried about jeopardising their careers.
The survey of almost 100 political staffers from across the political spectrum in December found one in eight had been sexually harassed or assaulted in the workplace in the past year. More than half had witnessed bullying and harassment in the workplace in the past year and two in five had experienced it themselves.
More than three-quarters of staffers surveyed by the Commonwealth Public Sector Union did not believe the Department of Finance would support them if they reported serious workplace incidents, igniting calls for an inquiry into the Parliament’s workplace culture to be widened.
