Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace Training
- Dec 13, 2024
- 4 min read
Support your organisation’s commitment to providing a safe, respectful, and legally compliant workplace
Fostering a respectful workplace is great leadership, a legal requirement and an operational necessity.
Under Work, Health and Safety (WHS) and anti-discrimination laws, Australian employers have a legal duty to provide a safe workplace. This includes protecting employees from physical and psychological harm, preventing serious incidents, and fostering a culture of respect.
At the same time, employees increasingly expect workplaces to be safe, inclusive and values-driven.
Training plays a crucial role in meeting these expectations.
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace is a training program delivered by WorkPlacePLUS to help managers and employees understand their obligations, build practical skills, and foster a workplace culture where inappropriate behaviour is addressed early and effectively.
Why bullying and harassment training is so important for workplaces
We are all responsible for standing up against bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence and victimisation.
Over the past decade, numerous reports have exposed the need to call out and address unacceptable workplace behaviours. For example, the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) landmark national inquiry found workplace sexual harassment to be widespread and pervasive, affecting workers across sectors, locations and seniority levels.
For employers, the risks are significant:
complaints, investigations and litigation
workers’ compensation claims for psychological injury
productivity loss and absenteeism
staff turnover and recruitment costs
reputational damage and cultural decline
Beyond risk mitigation, research has shown positive outcomes from fostering respectful workplaces, such as improved productivity, innovation, and collaboration.
Comprehensive training on respect and responsibility in the workplace gives leaders and employees a shared language and practical tools to prevent issues before they escalate.
The legal shift: proactive prevention is now required
Australia’s workplace framework has moved from reactive complaint handling to proactive prevention.
The Respect at Work Act 2022 introduced a new positive duty on employers to prevent and eliminate discrimination, workplace sexual harassment and victimisation in the workplace. This means proactive and meaningful action must be taken to prevent these unlawful behaviours regardless of whether someone has made a complaint.
The Respect@Work Council and the AHRC recognises ongoing staff education as a key control measure in meeting this duty and preventing serious workplace incidents such as sexual harassment.
In practical terms, this means organisations must demonstrate they are:
educating staff about expected behaviours
equipping managers to intervene early
reinforcing reporting pathways
embedding respectful culture into everyday work practices
Also, under national model WHS laws,psychosocial risk management a legal obligation for all Australian employers. Learn more >
Training is no longer optional compliance support, it needs to be part of an organisation’s prevention strategy.
About the Respect & Responsibility training program
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace is a comprehensive half-day training educating participants on workplace conduct and employer/employee obligations under workplace laws.
The session focuses on both legal obligations and practical workplace behaviours, helping participants understand not just what the law requires, but how to apply it in real situations.
Key topics include:
workplace bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation
respectful communication and professional conduct
bystander awareness and action
roles and responsibilities of employees, managers and organisations
handling concerns, complaints and disclosures
understanding workplace policies and support pathways
This program promotes values-driven teamwork and communication, supporting participants to contribute to a positive workplace culture.
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace is delivered by the team at WorkPlacePLUS. Our team has extensive experience delivering training and development programs to businesses and organisations around Australia. Our facilitators are senior HR consultants.
Who the training is suitable for
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace is relevant for:
employees across all industries
supervisors and managers
HR and People & Culture teams
business owners, executives and organisational leaders
safety, compliance and governance roles
The program is designed to be accessible for individuals while also supporting broader organisational culture initiatives.
How to access this program
Contact WorkPlacePLUS to book a Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace half-day training session for your team. These sessions feature:
face-to-face onsite or online delivery
incorporation of your policies and code of conduct
scheduling at a time that suits your team
customisation for leadership, managers or whole-staff audiences
During the booking process, we discuss your needs and target the training sessions to support the people in your organisation. For example:
Board members, executive management and senior leaders need to understand their governance responsibilities and make high-level decisions on preventing and responding to serious workplace incidents.
All employees need to understand the organisational values, rules, expectations and consequences around workplace attitudes and behaviours.
Managers and supervisors need to competently role model behaviours, reinforce expectations, call out poor behaviours and normalise discussions about sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination.
Contact officers, HR professionals, and WHS representatives need to know how to sensitively and safely triage reports or disclosures and provide appropriate support.
Our tailored Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace team sessions allow for confidential discussions of organisational expectations, procedures and real scenarios relevant to your workplace.
To book your Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace training program, contact us today.
What makes this training different?
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace goes beyond a standard compliance session.
Our program develops both participant awareness and participant capability. Rather than simply explaining definitions and laws, the program focuses on practical application and cultural impact.
Participants learn:
the most up to date laws and regulations relevant to workplace conduct and safety
what respectful behaviour looks like in day-to-day work
how workplace culture influences risk
the role of leadership and workplace policies
how to intervene or seek support early
Our real-time, interactive delivery method is crucial to every organisation’s staff education strategy, as participant questions can be answered in real time and various practical examples can be explored during the training.
Supporting safer, more respectful workplaces
Creating respectful workplaces requires ongoing leadership commitment, clear expectations, and practical education.
Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace provides organisations and individuals with a strong foundation to meet legal obligations while building healthier workplace cultures.
If your organisation is reviewing its WHS prevention strategy, onboarding new staff, rolling out an updated code of conduct, or strengthening leadership capability, Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace training can help.
What people are saying about this training program
For more information, please contact us today.
