Soon, coercive control in intimate partner relationships will be criminal in New South Wales. 

Coercive control is pervasive and quiet, a snake in the grass.

Behaviours like gaslighting, where an abuse alters your perception of reality, or subtly isolating a person from their friends or family or convincing someone to act or perform actions they would not want to do, are under the umbrella of coercive control.

With coercive control laws around the corner in New South Wales, slight and unassuming abusive behaviours are at the forefront. Although these laws are targeted toward intimate partner relationships, these behaviours can be found in other sects of life.

In the workplace is one of them.

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, coercion is illegal – you are not to force another person to act against their workplace rights. You cannot threaten to fire someone if they want to change their roster to swap shifts or convince a person to sign documents, they are unsure about.

But what of those subtle, unassuming behaviours that New South Wales are only now acknowledging as criminal between intimate partners? What if they become present at the workplace?

The subtlety of coercion is its strength and the reason for its effectiveness. It may be difficult to pinpoint and recognise, however can result in genuine distress. This can result in sexual, physical, emotional, or psychological abuse.

Telling a co-worker or employee to complete a task is not coercion. Telling a co-worker or employee they must not speak to another colleague is coercion. Especially if the threat of termination, reduced income, or suspension is inconspicuously lorded over a person’s head.

Workplace coercion is often coupled with problematic positions of power structures. It may come from a direct superior – which is where power structures get blurry and complicated. The devil is in the details, and our vigilance.

Opening our eyes to see the sly, quiet signs of abuse, to hearing the hiss in the grass, means victims who may not even know they are suffering get the justice they deserve.

For information about who to contact to get help if you’re experiencing coercive control, are inflicting coercive control, or know someone else that may need assistance, visit www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/coercive-control/get-help