Cleanaway Waste Management chief executive Vik Bansal was investigated in June over accusations he led a “culture of bullying and harassment”, created an environment where senior managers couldn’t escalate bad news for fear of reprisal, and expected employees to work from the Melbourne headquarters against Victoria’s coronavirus guidelines.

Former and current Cleanaway employees who have worked with Mr Bansal argue his leadership style is the chief reason for the company’s high rate of turnover in senior management and lower-level employees, which included a recent instance where six out of eight general managers resigned within a six month period.