News | 19 March

The Andrews Labor Government is warning employers to protect young workers and making sure young Victorians are aware of their rights through a powerful new campaign launched 10th March 2020.

Minister for Workplace Safety Jill Hennessy and WorkSafe Chief Executive Colin Radford today launched the new campaign, at Melbourne’s KereKere Green Cafe.

The campaign is part of a social experiment which saw young workers aged 18-25 asked to participate in a mock job information session for a research company.

Participants were asked a series of questions about the risks they were willing to take to secure employment – revealing young workers lacked the confidence to question unsafe working conditions.

Twenty-one of the 23 participants said they would accept that their employer had no responsibility for their health and safety, that they would work without first being trained, accept bullying and harassment in the workplace, and accept unsafe work conditions to secure and maintain employment.

Almost all of the participants displayed vulnerability in speaking up when they were uncomfortable about having their health and safety compromised.

The interviews will feature in the campaign through a series of online and print advertisements, which discuss the unique pressures young workers face.

Young workers can be reluctant to question their employers about hazards in the workplace and often have a poor understanding of their health and safety rights.

The campaign will also be supported with education for employers and young workers to increase awareness of their rights and responsibilities

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