Since the alleged rape of staffer Brittany Higgins in the office of then-defense minister Linda Reynolds, Australia's parliament has released documents seeking an organization to "deliver training to promote a safe and respectful workplace." The problem with this potential training is that it probably won't happen until September of this year, not to mention that the training will be optional to MPs, and will last an hour at most.
Parliamentarians will, potentially, complete a one-hour, face-to-face session with chiefs of staff and office managers. Junior staff, on the other hand, will mostly like need to attend a mandatory two-hour session.
By the end of the session, managers and MPs should be able to understand "behaviours [that] do or do not constitute assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment and serious and systemic bullying and harassment".
They should also be able to understand workplace health and safety obligations as an employer and what is needed to "provide a safe and respectful workplace".
via ABC
Those who will be administering the training have been asked to prepare for a general lack of knowledge regarding occupational health and safety, sexual harassment, and reporting incidents. Trainers will need to deliver their lessons in ways that are "engaging, non-judgmental and sensitive to dynamics in the room".
"Finance offers induction and ongoing training and support to parliamentarians and … employees in relation to their work, health and safety obligations," a spokesperson said. "These training modules include workplace bullying and harassment and guidance on sexual harassment."
via ABC
The spokesperson's statement noted that the training was a response to a recommendation from the Foster Report that was designed to offer parliamentarians the tools to properly handle unacceptable behavior.
(Image: Thennicke, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
