Workplace bullying, harassment and other psychosocial risks are no longer fringe issues – they are central to how we think about safety, fairness and dignity at work. One forum that has been shaping this conversation for more than two decades is the International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment (IAWBH) and its much‑anticipated biannual conference. This year’s event brings researchers, regulators and practitioners together in Canberra to tackle some of the most difficult problems in working life, with a strong emphasis on practical solutions, especially pertaining to sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
Professor Carlo Caponecchia, who is presenting at the conference, made some time for a couple of questions.
What is the IAWBH? What’s this conference about?
CC: IAWBH is the International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment, and they hold a biannual conference that brings together researchers and practitioners interested in all kinds of negative treatment at work and what we should do about it. It’s been going on since the early 2000s and has been an important way for people in this broad field to learn from and with each other.
The theme this year is “How do we solve a problem like…?”, leaving you to fill in the blanks for the many big problems we encounter at work, while making sure we focus on solutions and interventions. There’s a real extension from bullying to sexual harassment this year, too, and, of course, remembering the broader umbrella of psychosocial risks.
What are you most looking forward to from this IAWBH conference?
CC: The keynotes are going to be great. Elifi Bailien is one of the top researchers in workplace bullying and will talk about a systems approach to workplace bullying and harassment.
Tyler Okimoto is from the University of Queensland, and his talk on apologies and reconciliation promises a fresh and insightful perspective.
Then we have the Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth talking about the FWO, and a special fireside chat with Fair Work Commissioner Sarah McKinnon, hosted by ABC Canberra radio personality Ross Solly.
Our Watch, the premier not-for-profit in the prevention of violence against women, will be hosting a panel discussion with Prof Michelle Tuckey, Former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin AM, and Dr Elise Stephenson from ANU on Preventing Sexual Harassment and Sex-Based Violence in the Future of Work.
So, it’s a pretty good lineup. It can be a tough set of topics – we’re focused on how we move towards solutions this year, but we still manage to have fun. IAWBH conferences are known for their networking and collaborative spirit.
Sounds like there are some good networking opportunities too – Who usually attends these conferences?
CC: It’s really diverse, which to me is the best kind of conference. We might all be thinking in similar ways, but from different starting points and different pathways. I always walk away with something new. I had not connected to this vast area of how people get hurt at work. It’s HR and managers, lots of lawyers, consultants, investigators and mediators, researchers from psychology to business, sociologists, therapists, and increasingly, importantly, safety and risk people. I guess that is to be expected in Australia, where we have Regulations on psychosocial risk, and this is the hottest safety issue in the land right now. So, all the safety, human factors, and risk people should be there.
You’re presenting too, right?
CC: Yep, in addition to all of that I’m also really excited about some of my talks – a systems analysis of key psychosocial cases (hugely interesting for safety and human factors systems people, so excuse me while I geek out), and an analysis of emergency services inquiries around the globe and what we’ve learned (or haven’t learned?) from them.
There is a sea of webinars, workshops, and conferences available for people right now, particularly on psychosocial risks – what’s unique about this one?
CC: The focus is unique – bullying, harassment, and other negative treatment at work- and it’s also unique in that you get to hear international research, locally here in Canberra. There’s no sell either – no one’s slinging a product at you – (well, they might – there are incredibly talented people at the conference who can help you – but the premise is not to sell). People come here to learn from the different perspectives, different tools, approaches, data and examples of advocacy that have got us to where we are, and can propel us to safer, more respectful work.
SafetyAtWorkBlog will report on the first two days of the Canberra conference in the first week of June 2026, due to support from IAWBH.
In the last couple of days, IAWBH has released its draft conference program. Key themes include systemic and legal approaches to preventing sexual harassment, embedding positive duty in organisational cultures, and practical interventions for workplace bullying. The conference also explores leadership’s role in managing workplace harm, reporting processes, risk identification, and the intersection of psychosocial safety with legal and organisational frameworks, offering actionable insights for safety professionals and those committed to fostering safer Australian workplaces.
You can see how this conference is catnip for the SafetyAtWorkBlog, especially since it is a global conference with workplace issues that may seem familiar or even “old hat”, but we’ll learn how these issues arise and are managed in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Ireland, and others.