The workplace culture in New Zealand has been described as "inappropriate" and "ugly", according to a new report from the Human Rights Commission.
A survey of more than 2500 workers earlier this year, released on Monday, revealed 30% experienced at least one sexual harassment behaviour - including unwanted staring, communication or touching - over the past five years.
Meanwhile, 39% reported experiencing at least one racial harassment behaviour in the past five years, including racial jokes, mocking or being treated differently.
A further 20% said they experienced frequent bullying behaviour in the past year, including persistent criticism, exclusion or being set up to fail in a role.
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Equal employment opportunity commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo told Breakfast the report's findings are "ugly".
"Everybody has a fundamental right to be safe in their workplace, be free from discrimination," she said.
"Life isn't perfect but when you're at work, your employers have an obligation, have a duty of care to make sure that you're safe."
Sumeo said the figures were "really, really shocking" for workers with disabilities; Asian, Pacific and Māori workers; and migrant workers.
"For the first time, we are seeing that level of detail. Often, studies say 'have you suffered bullying or sexual harassment?' We wanted to ask specifically around sexual harassment and racial harassment and bullying and that is the picture we've got.
"It's really ugly and we have to act on it."
Top Drawer Consultants' Shayne Mathieson said the report's findings are "hardly surprising", adding that breaking it down to specific types of bullying and harassment provides "a good benchmark for people".
However, she said she was "slightly uncomfortable" with the report "calling all harassment violence or creating an unsafe environment".
"It may create an uncomfortable environment, but not all harassment - for example, unwanted remarks, unwanted jokes, for instance - in themselves, as a single event, I don't see as a violent thing.
"Definitely not appropriate, not courteous, not respectful, not civil - none of those things - but as a single event, not at that higher level."
Mathieson said the "bare minimum" employees should be able to expect from their employers in creating a safe environment is "recruiting the right people in the first place".
"Employers need to consider - with reference checks, for example when they're getting people in - that they're entitled to ask for both technical competence and interpersonal competence from employees."
She said employers should also have "positive and restorative practices" to "address formal complaints if they come through", "clear and consistent messages" in their policies and ensuring their senior leadership teams in particular are "modelling the appropriate behaviours themselves".
Mathieson also called for employers to take a more hands-on approach in creating a safe work environment "so rather than waiting for people to come to senior leaders, to actually be proactive, being out there observing things and looking out for those who are potentially more vulnerable".
Sumeo added that were concerns around workers not reporting harassment, but also that "a significant amount of those behaviours were witnessed by others".
She said we have to "lift the responsibility away from the victim and have everybody in that workplace take responsibility".
"We can say 'yes, we need to have policies' but sometimes, it's been the bosses that have been the perpetrators," she said.
"When you work for a small restaurant or dairy or a small place, it's not like working for TVNZ or the Human Rights Commission where you've got a human resources department. They've got nowhere to go.
"It's really important that we take care of our people but everybody in that place needs to take responsibility."
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