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MELBOURNE, Jan 16 – Despite recent legal reforms and stricter workplace conduct policies, most employees who experience sexual harassment at work still do not report it, according to two new studies from Flinders University.

The research found that fear of retaliation was not the only deterrent. Many workers felt unsupported by reporting systems they believed would fail to protect them.

One survey of more than 200 Australian employees who had experienced or witnessed harassment showed only about one in five went on to report it, said lead author Dr Annabelle Neall, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health and Wellbeing and Director of the Flinders Workplace Wellbeing Lab.

“The decision not to report wasn’t just about external risks like losing a job, it was also deeply tied to internal struggles,” Neall said. “People often concluded it wasn’t worth the emotional toll, the risk to their reputation, or the likelihood that nothing would change.”

The study identified three psychological needs influencing reporting decisions – autonomy, competence and relatedness. When these were undermined by unclear processes, fear of backlash or mistrust in the system, workers were far less likely to speak up.

Co-author Professor Lydia Woodyatt said reporting was not simply a procedural step. “Victims and witnesses feel they’re having to choose between protecting themselves and speaking up, and that pressure makes the decision emotionally charged and very difficult,” she said.

Participants described uncertainty over whether their experiences “counted” as harassment, fears of career damage, and doubts that reporting would lead to meaningful action. Some said the process itself felt punishing.

A second study, a historical review of workplace sexual harassment reporting since the 1980s, found that despite evolving laws and policies, reporting systems remain largely ineffective.

“For decades, organisations have focused on legal compliance and punitive measures, but these approaches often fail to address the cultural and psychological barriers that keep people silent,” Neall said.

The review highlighted persistent problems including fear of retaliation, mistrust in investigations and workplace cultures that normalise harassment. It also warned that mandatory reporting schemes could backfire by eroding survivor autonomy and trust.

Both studies call for trauma-informed and transformative justice approaches, including co-designed reporting channels, timely feedback and stronger workplace cultures of respect.