However, the report, issued by the Community and Public Sector Union to mark International Women's Day, also says most women feel that they receive enough pay.

The union's annual What Women Want survey gathered the views of about 13,000 female workers, most of whom are employed in the federal bureaucracy.

About 57 per cent said they worked extra hours, with about one in 10 working 10 or more hours overtime a week. About half of those who worked overtime were always paid for it, while about one of five women said they were never paid for the extra work.

Just over half (52 per cent) of the women were satisfied with the pay they received, compared with about a third (31.5 per cent) who were dissatisfied.

The majority of female public servants (57.5 per cent) were also happy with their work-life balance, compared with only 21.6 per cent who were dissatisfied.

One in 50 of the survey's respondents (260 women) said they had been sexually harassed at work, though only a third of them reported the incidents.

The claims included groping, comments from male colleagues about the appearance of their breasts, and colleagues using sexual innuendo in conversation.

The union's national secretary, Nadine Flood, also highlighted the importance of workplace safety, with two in five respondents saying customers had acted aggressively towards them.

The problem was worse in front-line agencies such as Centrelink, Medicare and the Child Support Agency, she said.

''Workplaces should be safe for employees, allowing everyone to do their jobs properly,'' Ms Flood said.

''Customer aggression in the workplace, particularly for women in service-delivery roles, is a significant issue that is threatening the safety of women at work. Further action to manage this risk and protect employees is required.''