Final Draft – Code of Conduct to Prevent Sexual Harassment
It is proposed that Screen Australia productions approved for funding from 2 April 2018 will be required to use the below Code for their project.
ABOUT THE CODE
It is proposed that Screen Australia productions approved for funding from 2 April 2018 will be required to use the below Code for their project. This will be a condition of their funding contract.
For more information about the proposed Code please view the accompanying media release
Industry feedback is due by 1 March 2018 and must be submitted in writing to [email protected].
NOTE:
- Producers will need to replace all fields [highlighted in brackets] with the relevant information before supplying the Code to production participants.
- Producers will be required to use the approved text only for both the Code and the workplace poster.
- The Code and poster appearance, branding, formatting etc will be at the producer’s discretion, but the Code minimum document size is A4, and the poster minimum size is A3.
CODE – FINAL DRAFT
[Production company] is committed to ensuring the health and safety of each Participant who performs work on [project].
We have a zero tolerance for any form of sexual harassment in the making of [project].
Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and state legislation it is against the law for a person to sexually harass another person. Some forms of sexual harassment, including sexual assault and indecent exposure, are also crimes and will be reported to the police.
[Production company] has appointed [Name of sexual harassment prevention contact] as the sexual harassment prevention contact for [project]. [Contact] is available to any Participant involved in the making of the Project and is also available to anyone applying or auditioning for a role on the Project. [Contact’s] contact details are [details].
You should report any conduct that you believe is sexual harassment, whether it is against you or another person, to [contact] or to your supervisor or to [name of Producer] directly.
You also have the right to seek advice or assistance from others (such as your union or lawyer), or seek assistance from or make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
[Production company] assures you that timely, fair and appropriate action will be taken to address any complaint. Victimisation of any Participant who raises a complaint is unlawful.
It is very important to speak up.
All Participants have a responsibility to promote appropriate standards of behaviour at all times. This includes during work hours while working on the Project and out-of-hours while attending work-related functions.
Participants can be personally liable for engaging in sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is:
- Any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature, which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.
- Includes staring or leering, unnecessary familiarity, such as deliberately brushing up against you or unwelcome touching, suggestive comments or jokes, insults or taunts of a sexual nature, intrusive questions or statements about your private life, displaying posters, magazines or screen savers of a sexual nature, sending sexually explicit emails or text messages, inappropriate advances on social networking sites, accessing sexually explicit internet sites, requests for sex or repeated unwanted requests to go out on dates.
- Behaviour that may also be considered to be an offence under criminal law, such as physical assault, indecent exposure, sexual assault, stalking or obscene communications.
- Behaviour of a sexual nature which you agree or consent to, such as flirting, is not sexual harassment. If the interaction is consensual, welcome and reciprocated it is not sexual harassment.
- Sexual harassment disproportionately affects women with 1 in 5 experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace at some time. However, 1 in 20 men also report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace.
[Signed/dated by Producer]
[Name of Producer]
RESOURCES
What to read next
Screen Australia has published a factsheet for people who believe they may have been sexually harassed at work.
30 Oct 2017
Screen Australia