MUSA Policy Unit continues to support parliamentary bills

Noon Fatima on left, Ani Dreyer on right

Massey University Student Association (MUSA), has road-tripped down to parliament grounds to file a submission of support to the Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill.

The Bill proposes to provide an extended period of time for employees to lodge a personal grievance in cases of workplace sexual harassment. The current period of time is 90 days, the proposed extension is 12 months.

“Given the nature of sexual harassment, we believe that there are very real reasons to extend the personal grievance window. The reality in our society is that often matters such as sexual abuse can remain hidden for years. Often victims feel powerless to act, or sadly ashamed of the actions that led up to their abuse,” a MUSA spokesperson says.

“The extension from 90 days to 12 months, goes some way in acknowledging the needs of victims to come to terms with what has occurred.”

Deborah Russell, the MP who first presented the Bill, believes the nuances of workplace relationships currently undermine sexual harassment victims.

“The difficulty arises with the nature of sexual harassment. People are often reticent about sexual matters; it's not something we discuss particularly openly and we can be embarrassed to admit that something of a sexual nature has happened.”

“Our cultural norms of shame and fear can hold us back. The power that another person holds over us can hold us back. We can be so upset and traumatised by the experience that, for a while, all that can be done is to retreat. And that can hold us back. The fear of retaliation can hold us back. Of course, there's still the narrative out there that she must have done something to cause this, which can hold us back,” Russell continues.

“Therein lies the problem that this bill addresses. Ninety days may just not be enough time to raise a complaint in cases of sexual harassment. This is not just a theoretical problem; we know that sexual harassment is a common work problem.”

MUSA’s newly formed Policy Unit wants to continue supporting bills (like this), and having them passed into law, as it will provide students entering the workforce with a “safer, more inclusive working experience”.

“As students graduate and move into the workforce, it is important to MUSA that they are provided with a safe workplace environment where there are supportive and robust services in place. Amongst the services we (MUSA) provide for our student community is advocacy and support. We encourage students to approach us with changes they want to see made.”

This is MUSA’s second parliamentary submission since the Policy Unit’s formation late last year. Earlier this year, support was shown for the Establishment of an Inquiry into the Exploitation of Migrant Labour Bill. This aims to reduce and respond to exploitation of temporary migrant workers, including international students in New Zealand workplaces.

After the Select Committee reviews public submissions, the Bill will move to a second reading in the near future.