As of 1 March 2025, every employer in Queensland—regardless of size—is now legally required to implement a Sexual Harassment and Sex or Gender-Based Harassment prevention plan. All businesses must also have a stand-alone Sexual Harassment policy, assess risks and identify hazards to support the requirement for all businesses now to proactively take steps to prevent sexual harassment. Failure to comply exposes your business to significant legal and financial risks.

Key Points
• Sexual harassment isn’t just a compliance issue—it’s a safety risk, and a reputational threat.
• Prevention plans are now mandatory—and they are not just policies or procedures.
• As of 1 March 2025, every employer in Queensland—regardless of size—is now legally required to implement a Sexual Harassment and Sex or Gender-Based Harassment prevention plan. All businesses must also have a stand-alone Sexual Harassment policy, assess risks and identify hazards to support the requirement for all businesses now to proactively take steps to prevent sexual harassment. Failure to comply exposes your business to significant legal and financial risks.

The risk management process is set out in the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work: Code of Practice 2022 (the Code) and involves:

• identifying the risk of sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment – find out what could cause harm. This includes employers assessing the interactions their employees have with customers, suppliers and other third parties who may cause risk.
• assessing risks – understand the nature of the harm, how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of harm occurring
• controlling risks – implement the most effective control measures that are reasonably practicable in the circumstance
• reviewing control measures – to ensure they remain effective.

All of these steps must be supported by consultation. The prevention plan must be communicated to workers either by group consultation or individually and training also provided on the Sexual Harassment Policy and what steps to take if an employee is subjected to or witnesses sexual harassment or sex and gender based harassment; or if they identify a new hazard to be risk assessed.

Please see the sexual harassment prevention plan template and sexual harassment prevention plan template with examples to help you create your own plan. If you require further assistance, please reach out to HR@greenlifeindustryqld.org.au or call us on 07 3277 7900.

NOTE: Free advice through UPPHR will only cover 30 minutes of time, if you would like UPPHR to help you write a plan for your business, this will be at an additional cost.*

Businesses must ensure that the plan complies with the requirements in section 55H of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (WHS Regulation).

* Free 30 minutes advice only available to Nurture and Thrive members.