EY brings in former sex discrimination commissioner to run culture review

Professional services giant EY Oceania has appointed Elizabeth Broderick to run a review of workplace culture.

Elizabeth Broderick will run the review of EY’s workplace culture. Picture: Evan Morgan

EY has brought in the former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, who ran the NSW Parliament’s harassment and bullying review, to examine the firm’s workplace culture as probes into the death of a staff member grow.

The review, expected to take a number of months, will see a number of staff interviewed by the former sex discrimination commissioner’s consultancy Elizabeth Broderick & Co in what is expected to be a wide ranging probe.

EY’s workplace culture will be under scrutiny, with Elizabeth Broderick & Co to examine healthy work practices and psychological health and safety in the firm.

EY signed the deal with Ms Broderick’s firm, coming soon after SafeWork NSW launched a probe into the firm and NSW Police continued their investigation into the death of the audit staff member.

EY said the review’s brief was to be “rigorous and far reaching”, with staff across all levels of the company to be offered interviews “in a safe and confidential environment”.

Findings are expected to be revealed to EY management over periodic check-ins prior to the review’s conclusion.

Staff were told about the review in a video of EY Oceania chief executive and managing partner David Larocca circulated on Monday.

Mr Larocca told EY staff sharing experiences “both good and bad will be an opportunity” to strengthen the firm’s culture.

“While we’re proud of many aspects of our culture we recognise we can always do better to make sure our workplace is as safe and positive as it can be for our people,” he said.

EY Ernst & Young building in the Sydney CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

The move comes after Elizabeth Broderick & Co was appointed to run the NSW parliament review into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

That review found “systemic and multi-directional bullying” in the parliament.

“We are committed to supporting everyone at EY and want to do everything we can to ensure we continue to provide a diverse, inclusive and safe workplace. The findings of these reviews will help us do that,” Mr Larocca said.

The review comes alongside two other reviews being run by EY looking at what structures the firm has put in place to support staff’s mental health, and the wellbeing and safety of employees at the mammoth professional services firm.

Former chief executive of ReachOut Australia Jono Nicholas, EY’s mental health adviser, will lead those reviews.

EY said the review would be supported by “a national mental health and suicide prevention organisation”, but declined to reveal the name of the group.

The firm said it would commit to “transparency” with the findings of the review and implementing their findings.

This comes as the death of the EY staff member is now subject to a probe by the NSW coroner’s court.

NSW Police examined the matter of the audit staff member who was found dead very early on August 27 outside EY’s George Street office in Sydney’s CBD.

The audit staff member had returned to the office after an evening social event.

However, the reasons for her death or the circumstances around it remain unclear.

EY said doors to the level 11 patio at the George Street office remain locked.

NSW Police are yet to hand a brief of evidence to the coroner and a post mortem examination is still to be handed in.

The NSW Coroners’ court said once the evidence had been reviewed it would determine whether to hold an inquest into the EY staff member’s death.

Safe Work NSW is also investigating the death as part of a probe into workplace health and safety at EY’s Sydney office.

Originally published as EY brings in former sex discrimination commissioner to run culture review