Australia's mining industry has taken another significant step in supporting its commitment to eliminate sexual harassment with the release of the MCA's National Industry Code which sets clear expectations on MCA member companies to develop a culture of respect while improving support for workers.
The Industry Code reinforces the industry's Commitment to Eliminating Sexual Harassment by outlining clear preventative and response measures based on honest, respectful and open communication.
MCA member companies will be required to confirm their commitment to eliminating sexual harassment and adopting the Industry Code and encouraged to include the commitment and code on their websites and intranet sites.
Sexual harassment causes profound physical, emotional and psychological impacts on those affected. It is unacceptable, against the law and must be eliminated from our industry's culture and workplaces.
The Industry Code establishes clear expectations on companies in developing a culture of respect that empowers individuals to raise concerns in a supportive and protected way.
A uniform national approach enables all employers and workers to have the same expectations for respectful workplaces regardless of their location, job, gender or seniority.
Prevention measures focus on culture and governance, awareness and education, leadership and working environments.
Response measures focus on creating an environment where raising concerns and reporting incidents is welcomed and encouraged, providing appropriate support and protection to affected persons, understanding how an incident occurred and why prevention measures in place were not effective and how they may be strengthened.
The MCA will release a resource toolkit including fact sheets, guidance and templates to support members companies' implementation of the code.
