Workplace Harassment Statistics 2026 [Australia] 

Harassment and bullying remain widespread in workplaces across Australia and globally, harming wellbeing, safety, and careers.

The data is confronting — high rates of harassment, under-reporting, and widespread normalisation show just how deeply these behaviours are embedded across industries and age groups.

This roundup pulls together the key workplace harassment statistics for 2026, giving you a clear, data-driven snapshot of the problem so you can benchmark your organisation and take meaningful steps toward a safer, more respectful workplace.

‍

Overall Prevalence Of Workplace Harassment

23% of workers worldwide have experienced violence or harassment at work [1].

18% of workers globally report psychological harassment, the most common type worldwide [1].

Australia and New Zealand have the highest global rate, with 47.9% of workers experiencing violence or harassment at work [2].

1 in 5 Australian workers (19%) experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last 12 months [3].

1 in 3 Australians (33%) experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years [3].

Demographic Patterns of Workplace Harassment

Women in Australia experience workplace sexual harassment at significantly higher rates, with 41% harassed in the last five years [3].

47% of workers aged 15–17 experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years [3].

46% of workers aged 18–29 experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years [3].

Nearly half of Australians with disability (48%) experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last five years [3].

More than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers (56%) were harassed in the last five years [3].

70% of people with an intersex variation experienced workplace sexual harassment, the highest rate recorded [3].

46% of LGBTQ+ Australians experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last five years [3].

Industry-Specific Harassment Patterns

Workers in information, media and telecommunications report the highest rate of workplace harassment at 64% [4].

Women in arts and recreation services report extremely high harassment rates, with 72% harassed at work [4].

71% of women in electricity, gas, water and waste services experienced harassment at work [4].

62% of women working in mining experienced sexual harassment at work [4].

Common Harassing Behaviours

27% of workers experienced sexually suggestive comments or jokes at work in the last five years [5].

23% experienced intrusive questions about their private life or appearance [5].

19% experienced inappropriate staring or leering [5].

19% were subjected to unwanted touching, hugging, cornering or kissing [5].

38% of harassment incidents occurred at the victim’s main work area or workstation [5].

Technology-Facilitated Harassment

1 in 7 Australian adults admitted to engaging in technology-facilitated sexual harassment in a workplace context [6].

Men were more than three times as likely as women to perpetrate technology-facilitated harassment (24% vs 7%) [6].

Nearly half of perpetrators (45%) worked in male-dominated workplaces [6].

People with sexist attitudes were more than 15 times more likely to engage in technology-facilitated harassment [6].

How Does Harassment Impact Employees?

67% of people sexually harassed at work reported negative mental health impacts [7].

50% of workers reported reduced productivity following workplace sexual harassment [7].

62% reported decreased job satisfaction after harassment [7].

Sexual harassment costs the Australian economy more than $3.8 billion per year [8].

Reporting Harassing Behaviour

Only 18% of workers who experienced sexual harassment made a formal complaint [9].

40% of complaints resulted in no workplace changes [9].

42% of victims chose not to report because they felt the behaviour wasn’t serious enough [9].

38% stayed silent because it felt easier not to speak up [9].

31% did not report due to fear of being seen as overreacting [9].

Globally, only 54% of people told anyone about their harassment experience [1].

55% of global victims did not report because they believed it would be a waste of time [1].

Employer Response & Legal Compliance Gaps

99% of large Australian employers report having a sexual harassment policy, yet 28% are not monitoring prevalence [10].

Only 68% of employers offer anonymous reporting options [10].

40% of workplace leaders are unaware of their new legal positive duty to prevent sexual harassment [11].

Only 39% of employees are aware of the legal requirement to actively prevent harassment [11].

Reference List

[1] Gallup & ILO – Global Experiences of Violence and Harassment at Work

[2] Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Safe at Work? Global Experiential Survey

[3] Australian Human Rights Commission – Fifth National Survey on Workplace Sexual Harassment

[4] WGEA (2024) – Industry Estimates of Sexual Harassment

[5] AHRC Behavioural Breakdown – What Harassment Looks Like in Practice

[6] ANROWS – Technology-Facilitated Workplace Sexual Harassment Study

[7] AHRC Impacts Report – Effects of Sexual Harassment on Workers

[8] Our Watch / Deloitte – Economic Cost of Sexual Harassment

[9] AHRC – Reporting, Disclosure and Barriers Data

[10] WGEA – Employer Response and Organisational Controls Dataset

[11] Our Watch – Positive Duty Awareness Survey

‍