Workplace bullying and harassment

Workplace bullying, harassment and other forms of abuse, including sexual harassment, can happen in person, online or using digital technologies and devices. 

The abusive behaviour can come from anyone connected with work, including colleagues, managers, customers, clients or suppliers. It can happen onsite, while working from home or from another remote location. It can also impact people outside work hours.

Wherever and whenever online abuse happens, it’s never acceptable and should not be considered part of doing a job.

On this page:

• What is workplace bullying and harassment online? 
• How does online abuse happen? 
• Who is most affected? 
• How do I recognise online abuse at work?
• What is online sexual harassment?
• What can employers and workers do about workplace online abuse?
• Find out more 

Using a digital platform, service, technology or device to bully, harass, threaten, intimidate or humiliate someone is online abuse. The behaviour is sometimes known as ‘technology-facilitated abuse’ or ‘tech-based abuse’. It can happen to anyone, anywhere – and that includes at work.

Most Australian workplaces rely on digital devices as well as technologies that use internet connections to operate. Workers increasingly communicate and collaborate via conferencing platforms, shared documents and calendars, messaging apps, social media, emails and other online platforms and services. The rise of remote work and use of technology has blurred the line between private and professional spaces, often bringing work interactions into people’s homes.  

While technology has improved workplace efficiency, it’s also opened new channels for harm. Exposure to online abuse, like bullying and sexual harassment, can severely affect a worker’s mental and physical health.  

Work health and safety (WHS) laws require employers, businesses and organisations to identify and manage risks to their workers’ health and safety, including the risk of online abuse. This means taking steps to protect workers from experiencing or being exposed to online abuse across all work environments.

Employers have a positive duty to prevent unlawful or harmful behaviours like sexual harassment in the workplace. When it happens online, it is sometimes referred to as ‘workplace technology-facilitated sexual harassment’, or tech-based sexual harassment. In addition to WHS duties, compliance with the positive duty in the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA) is also required. See the Australian Human Rights Commission for further information and guidance.   

If left unmanaged, these risks can harm the business or organisation and its workers. Prioritising workers’ health can lead to a safer workplace with higher productivity, lower staff turnover and less absenteeism.

Online abuse can happen between staff while in the workplace or working from home or another remote location, or involve someone at work such as a customer, client or supplier.  

It can take place via:

• workplace technology and communication tools (for example, telephone calls, texts, emails, business social media, and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack and WhatsApp)
• personal devices and accounts (for example, social media, online chat and messaging services). 

Online abuse in the workplace can affect anyone, including workers, supervisors, managers, customers, clients or suppliers.

The abuse may stem from prejudice against someone because of who they are, for example their:  

• gender, sex or sexuality
• age
• disability
• cultural or language background.

Certain workers may be more at risk of online abuse, including people who are:  

• women  
• lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or asexual  
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• migrants and temporary visa holders
• from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds  
• living with disability
• new to the workplace
• young
• in insecure working arrangements (casual or labour hire). 

Online abuse can take many forms, such as:  

• threats, intimidation, harassment, humiliation or encouraging violence through online posts, comments, emails, messages, chats, calls, livestreams, memes, images or videos  
• exposing someone’s identity, private information or personal details online without their consent and with the intent to cause harm (for example, names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses) – also known as doxing
• posting abusive comments on a business’s or worker’s social media account
• hacking a business’s or worker’s online account
• making prejudiced online comments about someone’s ability or looks because of their gender, sex or sexuality
• cyberflashing someone (sending ‘dick pics’) or sending messages asking them for nudes – these are types of sexual harassment
• monitoring or stalking someone via technology (for example, through location sharing software or a shared workplace calendar)
• persistent personal attacks aimed at ridiculing, insulting, damaging or humiliating a person based on physical appearance, religion, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation or political beliefs – also known as online hate
• creating a fake profile of someone to discredit or damage their reputation
• sharing intimate or sexual photos or videos without consent of the person shown – also known as image-based abuse or ‘revenge porn’
• creating a digital photo, video or sound file of a real person that has been edited to show a realistic but false depiction of them doing or saying something they did not actually do or say – often known as deepfakes (for example, fake pornographic videos).

Sexual harassment under the SDA is any unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes someone feel offended, humiliated or intimidated, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction in the circumstances. 

Workplace sexual harassment is often a form of gender-based violence and covers a range of behaviours that create a risk of harm through work. Women are at particular risk of experiencing workplace sexual harassment both off and online.

Examples of how it can happen online include:

• sexually suggestive or explicit jokes in a conference call
• commenting on someone’s appearance, clothing, sexual desirability or sexual performance in a group chat
• leaving a sexually suggestive or explicit message or voicemail  
• sending repeated texts asking to go on a date
• displaying pornography on a device or screen
• using emojis with sexual connotations  
• sharing emails about a person’s appearance or sexual desirability
• using sexual gestures during online meetings  
• pressuring someone to get sexual in a video call (especially as a condition of employment or promotion)
• posting someone’s personal information online along with sexual comments that result in unwelcome calls or visits. 

Online abuse, including bullying and sexual harassment, is not part of doing your job and is not OK.  

If you are a worker, you can take steps to look after yourself and other colleagues. It’s important to know that your employer is responsible for your health and safety at work, including both your physical and psychological health and safety.

They must provide:  

• a safe physical and online working environment
• systems and procedures for responding to risks and safely reporting them  
• information about online abuse and relevant training and support services.

If you are an employer, business or organisation, you are required by law to identify and manage risks to worker safety and to consult with workers about WHS issues. As part of your risk assessment, you can identify where, how, and why online abuse might occur. You can also work out how long, how often, and how significantly your workers are exposed to online abuse. It is important to develop a plan to manage risks, review them regularly, and keep up to date with tech changes. 

More resources

For more on WHS policy: Safe Work Australia

For resources, information and support relating to women's online safety, explore eSafety Women, including sexual violence.

Online safety information, support and advice:

• Journalists, including for managers, editors and producers and media organisations
• LGBTIQ+ communities
• People with disability
• Sports organisations.

_{Disclaimer: Please note, the information on this page is general information only and should not be regarded as legal advice that is tailored to your situation, organisation or business. You may wish to seek further advice on managing the risks of online abuse from the business or organisation that employs you, industry peak bodies or unions, or a lawyer who specialises in employee issues or work, health and safety (WHS) matters.}