Adelaide City Council sacks worker for sexual harassment

One person has been sacked and six others investigated as Adelaide City Council cracks down on harassment, bullying and intimidation.

Adelaide City Council has sacked a staff member for sexual harassment as part of a crackdown on unacceptable workplace behaviour.

Chief operating officer Amanda McIllroy said the employee was one of seven investigated in the past 12 months over complaints of harassment, bullying or intimidation.

“Earlier this year our ‘people team’ received a complaint that one of our employees had allegedly been sexually harassed by another employee,” she said.

“This was promptly investigated, the complaint was substantiated and the employee responsible was immediately terminated.”

Apart from the fired worker, one staffer was given a first and final warning, two others resigned and mediation resolved another complaint. Two other matters had no substance.

The cases were detailed in an annual report which elected members requested at the height of the public furore last year over sexual harassment within federal and state politics.

Adelaide City Council is cracking down on unacceptable workplace behaviour

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins started a national conversation about assault and harassment in the workplace after she alleged she was raped at Parliament House.

The controversy was followed by allegations former attorney-general Christian Porter had raped a young woman while they were on a debating team in their late teens. Mr Porter has strenuously denied the allegations.

Claims of toxic behaviour within state parliament then were made public by former attorney-general Vickie Chapman. These included serious allegations of indecent exposure, physical assault and sexually suggestive comments from SA MPs and parliamentary staff.

Chief operating officer Amanda McIllroy said the sexual harassment complaint was investigated.

City councillor Greg Mackie obtained unanimous support for a report to be provided on “any allegations of sexual harassment, assault or discriminatory behaviour” involving the council since 2011.

The latest report is the first to be presented since councillors received a preliminary report last year detailing the historic cases.

“Significant work has been undertaken since 2021 to improve staff education and to promote the importance of respectful behaviours and the rights of all people in the workplace,” it said.

“This has included the development of new training module, including a specific safety and wellbeing module on behaviour, as well as increased internal communications focused on positive behaviours.”

The report said there also had been a series of workshops to provide staff with an opportunity to engage with senior managers.

This had “assisted with culture change” which had helped “resolve issues informally, meaning less have required formal investigation”.

Originally published as Adelaide City Council sacks worker for sexual harassment