Russell Kennedy principal Anthony Massaro has had his article published in the Law Institute Journal: 'Don't just stand there, do something'.
Anthony Massaro, a principal in the Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety team, shares insight into the required activism needed in the legal industry around sexual harassment, particularly among senior male leaders. Anthony emphasises that "legal profession leaders, particularly men, must stand up and call out sexual harassment". You can read Anthony's full article in the Law Institute Journal here: 'Don’t just stand there, do something'.
In the article, Anthony cites substantial evidence of the prevalence of sexual harassment in the legal sector, and argues that we should not be shocked when allegations come to light.
Anthony says that leaders must become active bystanders: taking action when they observe unacceptable behaviour, whether that is sexual harassment, other discrimination or bullying.
"If we fail to call out unacceptable behaviour, we abdicate responsibility to the person experiencing that behaviour – we rely on them perceiving the behaviour as inappropriate, filing a complaint, trusting that their complaint will be addressed appropriately, and trusting that they will not face negative consequences".