WA startup sector eyes code of conduct for conferences, networking events, after-work drinks, business trips

“Horrified” was the only word WA financial educator Lacey Filipich could use to describe the moment a businessman inappropriately remarked about a younger woman’s breasts minutes after introducing the pair at a Perth networking event. Ms Filipich had identified their business interests aligned and thought a connection at the 2021 function could have mutual benefit. “I’d never met him before but after hearing his business background, I thought ‘oh, my friend must meet this man’. But when she came over, he looked at her chest and waggled his eyebrows,” she recounted to The West Australian. “To her credit, she said ‘I see what you’re doing and that’s not OK’. He probably thought he was being complimentary, but he replied with something along the lines of ‘well, they’re fabulous’. “Of course, my jaw hit the ground.” Ms Filipich said unfortunately it wasn’t an uncommon scenario. One harassment case prompted an event organiser to stop hosting functions because she was so put off by the experience. “A man she didn’t know came along and he made inappropriate comments even after being asked to stop. She has not had the confidence to run another one,” Ms Filipich said. But now, Ms Filipich is now part of a cohort working to stamp out inappropriate behaviour and harassment through a new collaboration between Start Up WA and Women in Tech WA (WiTWA). The groups want to develop a code of conduct for industry conferences, networking events, after-work drinks, and business trips. With a network of more than 10,000 members between them, Ms Filipich said it was important to set the standard and highlight discrimination and harassment would not be tolerated in the sector. To gauge how deep-rooted the issues are, the groups ran a series of roundtables and a sample survey earlier this year. In 22 submissions, the issues were shown to be pervasive and hindering economic development in the sector. “What it did confirm for us was — these are not isolated incidents. They found more than 20 per cent of respondents had been harassed at industry events,” she said. “Another thing I would say on top of that is, this happens to men too. It’s not a gendered thing. It’s often linked to a power dynamic. “They don’t talk about it as readily as women do because of the stigma but I think there’s probably a hidden issue there.” While the number of submissions is low, Ms Filipich said the survey was not originally intended as a statistical analysis. Rather, it was to have themes and conduct reported. The proposed code won’t be isolated to sexual misconduct, with Ms Filipich adding it would relate to all forms of discrimination, including race, age, disabilities. A common issue is no human resources department for the individuals to report to because they’re predominantly sole operators or entrepreneurs with smaller teams. To combat this, Ms Filipich wants a reference group to explore how it could create an anonymous reporting line. “There’s a lack of consistency about who you go and who you report to,” she said. “I’ve had experiences of not knowing who I should tell because there isn’t a central place to report. “We don’t have a HR department. A lot of startups don’t have employee agreements, they’re directors of companies. It’s different from having Fair Work coverage. “But there’s also a lack of consistency about code of conduct.” WiTWA central committee member Janie Plant said it was a difficult area for people to raise their voices, saying Perth’s business community was small and news travelled fast along St Georges Terrace. “Perth is already so small, and that business environment is obviously even smaller so people who are trying to start their businesses are obviously going to be hesitant to report anything,” she said. Ms Filipich said given the rampant use of NDAs, confidentiality clauses and defamation court cases, victims would have to be “very game to say anything about anybody in Perth”. “There’s massive power imbalances in the startup sector where you have a lot of men with a lot of money and that’s why people don’t want to come forward and in a lot of cases,” she said. “One shake of the head from a gatekeeper and it’s enough to finish a business or stop them being able to get funding.” Ms Plant said the reference group would also examine cultural norms around drinking at work-related events and consider including advice on the responsible serving of alcohol within the code. She encouraged events to adapt and offer more zero alcohol substitutes. “It’s a given that many events will have alcohol on offer. I think it’s really important events actually consider what non-alcoholic drinks they’re providing as an alternative,” Ms Plant said. Curtin University Centre for Future Work’s Professor Sharon Parker said psychosocial hazards in the workplace can include high workload, job pressure, harassment, and inappropriate behaviours. She said grey areas at after-work events can lead to confusion and potentially inappropriate behaviours. “I think sometimes in grey areas is where careful thought is needed and awareness raising is needed,” she said. “If you’re talking about startups and small companies, it’s hugely important that the founders and the leaders of these organisations behave and set standards,” she said. “I think responsible service of alcohol should definitely be part of a code of conduct. “A code of conduct is good, but the responsibility also has to lie with the specific companies. “It has to come down to the behaviour of managers and leaders — ultimately, everybody in the organisation. We also know that the role of bystanders is really important. Since the 2021 incident, two women Ms Filipich has mentored have raised concerns about the same businessman ahead of meetings. Her advice has remained the same: “Don’t go alone”. Prof. Parker emphasised that harassment was about power, not just inappropriate behaviour. “In the end all harassment is about power. I can see in a startup conduct context, people might want to attract funding from investors so they might tolerate inappropriate behaviour,” she said. Ms Plant said a common theme from the roundtables was that often perpetrators and bystanders didn’t understand what inappropriate behaviour looked like. “There was a lack of understanding of what is actually what the behaviour that’s not okay looks and sounds like. If they can’t see it, how can they call it out or understand what they’re doing is wrong?” she said. The group may look to developing training through the reference group in the future. A State Government spokesman said it had invested millions in funding to support and improv the local innovation and startup ecosystem. “We welcome reforms and agreed practices to ensure workplace behaviour in the startups is of the highest standard,” he said. “Last year, the State Government launched the Women’s Workplace Safety Information and Resources Hub which provides advice and information for employers and employees on how to make workplaces safe for women.” The hub includes resources for business including guidance on where to find examples of best practice frameworks and steps that can be taken to reduce workplace sexual harassment. If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.