By Cam Lucadou-Wells
About 7 per cent of women employed by City of Casey have reportedly experienced sexual harassment at work, according to official audit data.
Of them, only one in 20 submitted a formal complaint.
The 2021 data is typical of the findings across Victoria’s public sector, which are published by the state’s Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector.
The audit also shows 5 per cent of male employees at the council say they experienced sexual harassment.
An “unknown” number of them submitted a formal complaint.
About 11 per cent of women employees at Cardinia Shire Council reportedly experienced sexual harassment, as well as 3 per cent of men.
An “unknown” number submitted formal complaints.
At Greater Dandenong Council, 7 per cent of women employees and 4 per cent of men say they experienced sexual harassment.
Again, the number of formal complaints was “unknown”.
The Gender Equality Commission reported that across Victoria’s public sector, only 4 per cent of women and 3 per cent of men who experienced sexual harassment at work made a formal complaint.
“Barriers to formal reporting included the belief that the incident was not serious enough, or that the individual would experience backlash or negative impact on their career as a result of making a report.”
At City of Casey, there was a median pay gap between men and women.
Women were paid 3.7 per cent less base salary and 19.5 per cent less in total remuneration.
Greater Dandenong female workers were reportedly paid 10.5 per cent more salary than men, but 4.6 per cent less for median total remuneration.
Women employees at Cardinia Shire were paid 11.4 per cent less base salary and total remuneration.
Across the Victorian public sector, the median total remuneration pay gap was 8.1 per cent.
Women made up 72 per cent of Casey’s workforce – higher than the local government average of 63 per cent.
They represented 83 per cent of part-time workers at Casey.
