Leading human rights and discrimination lawyer launches platform to tackle workplace misconduct

Australia's first independent trauma-informed platform, SafeSpace@elevate, has been launched to report and support workplace misconduct and address the pervasive issue of underreporting harmful behaviour at work.

Prabha Nandagopal, a prominent human rights and discrimination lawyer with extensive experience in workplace culture reform, has launched the initiative. The platform aims to provide a confidential and culturally safe reporting environment, encouraging early reporting of harmful behaviours such as sexual harassment, bullying, racism, and discrimination.

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, workplace sexual harassment costs businesses an estimated AUD $2.6 billion annually in productivity losses. Despite this, only one in three people who experience sexual harassment in the workplace make a formal report, highlighting a significant gap in current reporting systems.

"Most people are uncomfortable with raising concerns or sharing personal experiences with harmful workplace behaviour internally. This means those behaviours are often enabled to fester, while business leaders are unaware of the issue. The reasons for why people hesitate to report incidents are multi-faceted, including lack of trust and confidence in current reporting processes, confidentiality concerns, fear of backlash, and cultural shame or stigma," Nandagopal stated.

Nandagopal's motivation for developing SafeSpace@elevate stems from her extensive legal experience and research. She explained, "Throughout my career, I have spoken to hundreds of business leaders, policymakers, professionals and everyday Australians about the need to combat the complex issue of harmful workplace behaviour. Leveraging my professional experiences and years of research, SafeSpace@elevate was purposely designed to fill the gaps in the current systems and make a tangible difference for those experiencing sexual harassment, bullying, racism or discrimination in the workplace."

The initiative is complemented by Elevate Consulting Partners, also established by Nandagopal, which supports businesses in enhancing workplace culture through independent investigations, education, and training. The consulting arm works in partnership with SafeSpace to provide actionable solutions following reports of misconduct, aiming to bring about meaningful change in organisational environments.