WRC declines to recommend for worker over employer’s handling of harassment complaint

The Workplace Relations Commission did not recommend in a worker’s favour in a dispute over an employer’s handling of her sexual-harassment complaint. The recommendation was dated 18 December 2025; the merits of the dispute were not decided. The worker said she felt unsupported and unsafe while continuing to work on the same team as the team leader she had complained about. The employer said it followed its procedures and was concerned that moving her during the investigation could be seen as penalisation. The WRC accepted that a move requested by the worker would have been reasonable, but found she had not used the employer’s grievance procedure about how it handled her complaint. It considered the referral premature and said she could raise the grievance internally.