La Trobe University has received its third SAGE Cygnet Award, recognising institutional action to address the barriers that impede staff reporting sexual harm and accessing support at work.

Between 2021 and 2025, La Trobe strengthened support services, policies, reporting pathways and accountability. Over the same period, employee experience survey responses showed improvements over time in some indicators relating to staff confidence in speaking up about inappropriate behaviour.

“It is essential for staff to know where to go and who they can rely on when they experience inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. La Trobe University’s work to build awareness of and trust in staff support services is the foundation necessary in creating a safe, respectful, and transparent culture,” said Dr Janin Bredehoeft, CEO of SAGE.

A broader issue behind low reporting

In the reporting period of 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, approximately a quarter (65) of the 273 staff surveyed reported experiencing sexual harassment behaviours. Three formal complaints were recorded through the University’s complaints process for the same period. . While these separate data sources are not directly comparable, the size of the gap suggested that many staff who experienced sexual harassment were not engaging with formal reporting pathways

The top reasons for not making a formal complaint were thinking the behaviour was not serious enough and believing there would be negative consequences for reputation or career.

To address these barriers in the following years, La Trobe introduced new initiatives and strengthened its approach to preventing and responding to sexual harm through more coordinated support services, reporting pathways, policy reform, training and prevention initiatives.

In 2022, the University launched Staff Wellbeing Connect, a confidential, trauma-informed service that operates independently of employee relations functions. In 2024, the Workplace Behaviours and Sexual Harm Prevention and Response policies were updated to set consistent reporting and response pathways, a victim-survivor-centred approach and clearer roles and accountability.

Training and awareness initiatives included responding to disclosures and bystander training, alongside mandatory online learning. By June 2026, 91.7% of staff had completed a mandatory online module on preventing and responding to gender-based violence at work, complemented by La Trobe’s annual Safe and Respected at La Trobe campaign promoting reporting and support options.

Progress and ongoing barriers to reporting

Alongside these developments, employee experience survey results showed improvements in some areas, while other barriers persisted.

Positive staff responses to feeling safe to call out inappropriate behaviour increased from approximately 54% in 2021 to 65% in 2025. Agreement that La Trobe takes steps to eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination also increased from 52.6% to 61% over the same period.

The number of survey respondents who reported using formal pathways increased from 2 in 2021 to 11 in 2023 and 18 in 2025. These pathways included raising concerns with a manager, engaging Human Resources or submitting a formal complaint.

However, formal complaints recorded in the University’s complaints process remained low at 3, 9 and 2 across the 2021, 2023 and 2025 reporting periods.

Between 2023 to 2025 fewer surveyed staff said they did not know how to make a complaint (8% vs 5%) or did not feel safe to report (14% vs 7%). Other findings showed that barriers relating to trust and confidence persisted. More respondents in 2025 said that making a report would not make a difference (28% to 41%) or that they feared career consequences (17% to 24%), compared to the 2023 survey.

The capability to recognise and respond

A trauma-informed approach was used to understand broader organisational change, drawing on the round table observations of eight frontline staff who deliver this work. Direct qualitative evidence was not sought from victim-survivors, given the potential risk of re-traumatisation.

Round table participants described clear improvements in coordination, referral pathways, trauma-informed practice and collaboration between support services and workplace functions.

“…when I first started, it was very individual based. It was very relationship based on who you know from other teams … that’s become a lot more solidified in the team’s responsibility.”
(Frontline staff roundtable participant)

They also observed stronger leadership commitment and accountability, as well as a broader cultural shift toward seeing sexual harm prevention and response as a shared institutional responsibility.

“… we’ve noticed there’s an increase of when staff are wanting to make a disclosure, they’re actually having a supervisor come as a support person … which I know is a positive shift from the past few years … in 2023, there wasn’t a single case of a staff member reaching out and having their supervisor come as a support person.”
(Frontline staff roundtable participant)

Further actions

Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the award reflected La Trobe’s deep commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for staff and students.

“Preventing and responding to sexual harm and gender-based violence is a commitment shared across our entire University community,” Professor Farrell said.

“This award recognises the tremendous work of staff, students and leaders who have strengthened support services, reporting pathways, prevention and safety initiatives and improved organisational capability. While we are encouraged by this recognition, we know there is more work to do to strengthen trust, improve support and foster a culture of respect, inclusion and belonging.”

Professor Farrell also acknowledged all victim-survivors of sexual harm and gender-based violence, including those who have shared their experience and those who have chosen not to. “Their experiences continue to inform our efforts to strengthen our prevention, support and cultural change across the University.”

This work will continue through La Trobe’s Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence Action Plan and Outcomes Framework 2026–2029 and Gender Equality Action Plan 2026–2030, with a focus on strengthening confidence, trust and transparency in reporting pathways, risk assessment and safety planning, leadership capability, and monitoring and evaluation.

Find out more

SAGE Cygnet Awards celebrate organisations that have demonstrated progress in making their workplaces more equitable by removing or reducing a barrier to inclusion. They must be able to show that these changes have had a real impact on staff and/or students.  

This builds on La Trobe University’s previous SAGE Cygnet Awards on academic promotions and supporting parents and carers. 

You can read all about La Trobe University’s actions, outcomes, and impact in the full Cygnet Award Application or the Progress and Impact Summary.

About SAGE 

SAGE is Australia’s peak gender equity, diversity and inclusion not-for-profit working with the tertiary education and research sectors to improve representation of women and marginalised groups. 

SAGE delivers Australia’s only internationally recognised evidence-based, tailored workplace accreditation program that supports, advises, and guides tertiary education and research institutions to build their skills and deliver meaningful and sustained action that moves the dial on gender equity, diversity, and inclusion.