The tourism and hospitality industry is seen as one of the largest industries in the world and is a significant contributor to the Australian economy. However, the tourism and hospitality industry has not been immune from issues such as sexual harassment, bullying, fraud and collusion. In a recent study conducted by the University of Queensland, it was found that more than 60% of hospitality workers in Australia had experienced sexual harassment, verbal and psychological bullying or other abuse, while more than 70% had witnessed such behaviours.
The tourism and hospitality industry can improve efforts to prevent sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace by implementing effective prevention and response frameworks.
Workplace health and safety laws across Australian jurisdictions make it a legal requirement for employers to provide employees with safe workplaces. This legal obligation on employers extends to contractors (see relevant occupational health and safety legislation in your state jurisdiction).
Effective measures to prevent these risks in the workplace could include providing better training for hospitality workers on how to identify and respond to instances of harassment and improving reporting mechanisms and support for victims.
The best way to manage complaints
When it comes to managing complaints in the workplace, protecting the wellbeing of the person making the complaint is of utmost importance. This not only ensures that employees feel safe and comfortable coming forward but also helps to create a culture of trust and transparency.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by using an external third-party platform. A quality, third party platform is a secure and confidential way for employees to report negative behaviour without fear of retaliation or victimisation. By using an external platform, complaints can be investigated independently, allowing for a fair and impartial process. This helps to protect both the person making the complaint and the respondent from potential bias or conflict of interest.
Implementing an external third-party platform for managing complaints can go a long way in creating a safe and positive work environment, where employees feel valued and heard. It is a proactive step towards promoting a culture of respect and inclusivity.
Independent whistleblower solution
An external whistleblower and complaints management service provides confidentiality, and if required, anonymity, to staff members thereby increasing the likelihood of concerns or complaints being lodged in a timely manner.
Further, an expert, independent whistle-blower and complaints management solution assists with managing the complexities of legislation that applies to protect employees who report wrongdoing.
A high-quality, external whistleblower and complaints management service delivers:
- Confidentiality, impartiality and anonymity
- Accessibility through a 24-hour online reporting, email and phone call-taking service
- Investigators and call takers with expertise in obtaining quality information from callers
- Access control
- Secure data management
- De-identified reporting capability.
At PKF Integrity, we specialise in managing whistleblower and other types of conduct complaints with the added benefit of an independent whistleblower and conduct complaints management system. If you’d like to know more about what we do and how we do it, please see our services here.
