Sexual harassment: Event professionals say ‘not in my workplace’

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) CEO Karen Bolinger is calling on leaders in the business events sector to take action to stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace. Bolinger is one of the driving forces behind the Not In My Workplace (NIMW) initiative, a project to gather influential government and senior executives to address the issues of workplace harassment and abuse across all industries.

Sexual harassment cases continue to increase in Australia, with the 4th National Inquiry on Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces highlighting one in three Australian workers having been sexually harassed at work in the last five years.

Industry association PCMA has also released new findings revealing 80% of respondents having experienced some form of on-the-job sexual harassment. It also found that nearly 75% of those event professionals didn’t report their harassment.

“The meetings and events industry represent the perfect storm when it comes to sexual harassment. In our industry, we are in a vulnerable position with unusual hours, alcohol and an environment that is not so structured,” said Bolinger. “As leaders, we have a duty of care to ensure our employees are safe, and the culture we foster will not tolerate this behaviour."

The inaugural NIMW Summit will be held on 21 February at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.