One third of respondents to a survey of staffers in the NSW parliament said they have experienced bullying or sexual harassment at work, according to a new report released on Friday.
The report indicates that the key drivers of the harmful behaviour that occurs in NSW parliament include the unequal distribution of power between politicians and staff, and the underrepresentation of women and people of diverse background in decision-making roles.
Women were more likely to experience sexual harassment than men across all roles, with female MPs (46 per cent) being the most likely group to report experiencing sexual harassment.
In the report, younger female staffers talked about sexual harassment as being normalised in the workplace, mentioning the unequal power dynamics between MPs and staffers.
“It’s very normalised, the MP and Chief of Staff sleeping with junior staff. The power dynamics were so unbalanced, it thwarted any possibility of a balanced relationship,” one staffer told the review.
Source: ‘Abhorrent behaviour’: Sexual harassment and bullying rife in NSW parliament