How does gender play into it? S3 E6

In the final episode of our third season, we talk about all the ways that our gender impacts the way we’re treated at work. Penny tries to work out whether a person’s gender changes the way we feel about the way they behave and if it influences the way we react. We’ll hear how we can impact change …

BONUS: What do we need to know to speak up safely? S3 E5.

In this BONUS episode, we talk about the real risk of defamation and what we need to consider before we speak up about experiences of sexual harassment or sexual assault. Penny gets help to unpack the law of defamation and discovers it’s a fine balance between encouraging people to speak up about t…

Are we willing to have the awkward conversation? S3 E4

In episode four we move from reactive processes to prevention as we prepare to have the necessary awkward conversations that come with calling-out bad behaviour.  We’ll hear real examples of what can happen when we call out disrespectful behaviour and get some practical tips for doing it well. Plus…

It's time to take notice of the consequences of doing the wrong thing. S3 E3

We know sexual harassment is common, yet most of us will never hear about the consequences for people or organisations who have done the wrong thing. In episode three Penny finds out what the real costs are for people or organisations who are caught. You’ll hear about the personal, professional, em…

Getting past the barriers to reporting sexual harassment. S3 E2

Even though the law clearly states that sexual harassment is illegal, many barriers stop people from reporting it. In episode two Penny Terry gets real examples of the historical baggage that comes with reporting sexual harassment and gets some practical tips for creating policies and processes tha…

Is sexual harassment REALLY illegal? S3 E1

Do you know what is or isn’t sexual harassment?  In our first episode of season three, expect to hear many different examples as we start to understand the law and why sometimes sexual harassment might not ‘feel’ illegal.  Penny talks with women who’ve experienced sexual harassment, with lawyers an…

Season Three coming!

Could you confidently say what sort of behaviour is or isn’t sexual harassment? Is it touching? Innuendo? Banter? What about an email?  Plus, would you do anything about it? Yeah, it’s tricky. That’s why Rule of Thumb is coming back for Season Three – so we can all better understand the law, the st…

Why you may not notice or call out physical abuse. S2 E8

We think that we’d notice if there was physical violence in a relationship and say something don’t we? In the final episodes of Season 2 of Rule of Thumb we learn that there is lot about the physical abuse that we might not see. Most people have long understood that physical violence is never ok, a…

How are people 'stalked' in 2021? S2 E7

To be ‘followed’ means many things in 2021 that means you need to look much further than over your shoulder. In episode seven of Rule of Thumb we learn about the multiple way in which someone experiencing family violence can be monitored and tracked by their abusive partner and the multiple ways th…

Listening for threats and looking for damage to property S2 E6

There are all sorts of ways to create fear. In this episode we’ll hear about some of the common ways people are controlled by fear in abusive relationships; those that have physical signs, such as damaging someone’s property, and those that don’t like threats. You’ll hear women, lawyers and counsel…