That sex work is a legitimate occupation is far less contentious in Australia than in the past, but the reality still requires reinforcement every so often, and we can all learn things from this industry. On October 23, 2025, Greens Member of Parliament, Abigail Boyd, asked the New South Wales Parliament to recognise
Last week was a big one for the sex industry in Victoria. A brothel manager was found guilty of allowing a 16-year-old girl to work as a dominatrix in his mother’s brothel. And a sex worker was found, by the Fair Work Commission, to be a contractor (paywalled) when working in the Top of the …
WorkSafe Victoria is advertising for a Program Officer for its new sex work industry obligations. It’s a tough ask as the candidates will need to combine a good level of occupational health and safety (OHS) knowledge with a close, effective association with the local sex work industry networks. WorkSafe has outlined its expectations for sex …
The food delivery gig workers are the primary focus of the gig work and safety debates in Australia. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) is making good progress with one of the gig companies, DoorDash, on wages, conditions and OHS, but this progress remains limited. The focus on food delivery is also a comfortable category for … Continue reading “WorkSafe starts work on sex work safety”
Thinking about the occupational health and safety (OHS) issues of sex work is fascinating and, to some, titillating. But work is work and the OHS issues are just as real in a room in a brothel as in any other workplace. The workplace hazards presented by COVID19 to the Australian sex industry have been identified …
The Victorian Government has announced a review of the regulations pertaining to sex work. It will include several areas related to occupational health and safety (OHS): Workplace safety including health and safety issues and stigma and discrimination against sex workers Regulatory requirements for operators of commercial sex work businesses And the safety and wellbeing of … Continue reading “Sex Work review includes many OHS matters”
It is widely acknowledged that work-related incidents are under-reported through worker or management choice. But there are institutional practices that mean that incidents in company vehicles are reported as traffic incidents even though the driver may be obliged to follow company safe driving procedures and the car has been purchased exclusively for work activities. But …
