More Australians than ever lodging workplace sexual harassment complaints

New figures show a record number of Australians are lodging workplace sexual harassment complaints, though many face months of delays before their cases are investigated. The increase is likely due to recent legal reforms and greater awareness of workplace rights, but there are concerns the system cannot handle the rising demand.

Employment lawyer Lisa Berton says complainants endure longer waits because the federal system offers broader claims, stronger enforcement, and potentially uncapped compensation. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received 759 complaints under the Sex Discrimination Act last year, a 21% jump from the previous year and 51% over five years.

Of these, 95% were sexual harassment complaints related to employment. Complainants typically waited nearly seven months to be assigned a case officer, though only 49% of workplace sexual harassment matters were resolved within a year, falling short of the AHRC's target of 85% within 12 months. Delays vary by state, with Queensland and South Australia reporting significantly longer wait times.

The Fair Work Commission received 183 workplace sexual harassment applications in 2024-25. Discrimination law experts say the growing number of complaints may reflect greater awareness and confidence in reporting, but the system struggles to keep up. The Australian government has invested $49.8 million in the AHRC since 2022 and will review the system as part of the upcoming Respect@Work review.

Workplace union representatives argue stronger protections are meaningless without adequate resources for enforcing agencies.