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A report into bullying, s-xual harassment and abuse in parliamentary workplaces has identified drivers and made recommendations that have critical relevance for all workplaces, a lawyer says.

Any employer would be well placed to look at the recommendations in the report produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission and consider how its own practices stack up, says Hall & Wilcox partner Fay Calderone.

"The things that have been identified are so fundamental, but so familiar. Lack of trust in the system, fear of reprisals, the power imbalances and the 'untouchable' leaders... these are all the things we've been talking about for such a long time now that you look at it and it looks so obvious," she tells HR Daily.

Untouchable figures in the private sector could be high performers, and the 'work hard, play hard' mentality that can poison culture is often found in results-driven, permission-oriented environments, she says.

"Observations about the cultural and systemic drivers that have led to these findings are the same as would apply to any workplace...