Today, Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche issued strengthened Speaking Up model standards and a new resource that outlines complainants’ rights.
The standards set the expectation that any form of bullying, harassment, or discrimination, including sexual harassment, is not acceptable in the Public Service.
“Any form of wrongdoing in the workplace is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the Public Service,” says Sir Brian.
“I want to assure any public servant that they can speak up about wrongdoing without fear of punishment or reprisal. This is really important to me and I expect agencies to uphold these standards, take all allegations of wrongdoing seriously, and keep you safe.”
Alongside the standards, the Commission has also published a new resource ‘Your Complaint, Your Rights’ which outlines complainants’ rights and sets clear expectations for how agencies should support individuals who raise concerns.
‘Your Complaint, Your Rights’ was informed by feedback from agencies, insights from relevant Commission investigations, and findings from the 2025 Public Service Census. The Census revealed that 12.1% of respondents had experienced bullying or harassment in the last 12 months in their current workplace. Of those, 37% decided not to report it.
Your Complaint, Your Rights makes it clear to complainants what their rights are and what they can expect from their agency when they make a complaint. This will help ensure complainants are appropriately supported and protected throughout the process.
A list of some external places to raise a complaint about sexual harassment or to seek support has also been published.
Read the Speaking Up model standards and Your Complaint, Your Rights here:
