A sector-wide approach to reporting, grievance resolution and disciplinary action
The Confederation of Australian State Theatres (CAST) has worked with the Media, Arts and Entertainment Alliance (MEAA) and the artist-led initiative Safe Theatres Australia to develop a framework on reporting unacceptable behaviour, grievance resolution and disciplinary action that would apply in theatrical workplaces across the country.
In 2017, CAST companies released a statement on industry principles around sexual harassment, but workplace policies remained different for each company. The uniform set of standards under development is designed to fill gaps and eliminate the inconsistencies that exist between many of Australia’s major theatrical workplaces. In a sector with a transitory workforce of actors, crew and others, who often work time-limited contracts according to production runs, this consistent framework should give workers confidence in their rights and obligations in relation to sexual harassment as they move between workplaces.