Former Ambulance Victoria employee’s fury amid two-year delay into key recommendation

An ex-Ambulance Victoria employee has slammed the organisation’s handling of a bullying complaint as he spoke out on a frightening incident that allegedly occurred at his home.

A former AV employee has hit out at the agency’s complaints handling process amid a two-year delay into delivering a key recommendation. Picture: Getty

A former Ambulance Victoria employee has slammed the organisation’s complaints handling process after he was confronted at his home late at night by a colleague who he’d accused of relentlessly bullying him at work.

The worker, speaking anonymously to detail his “traumatic” experience, said the way Ambulance Victoria dealt with his complaint, which involved a year-long investigation, exacerbated his mental health injury.

About 24 hours after making a formal complaint to management in early 2021, the alleged victim said he was interrogated at his front door by the colleague at the centre of the bullying complaint.

An investigation by an external law firm ultimately substantiated the victim’s allegations, but took one year to complete.

The former worker says the complaint process added to their struggles. Picture: Getty

“It was the treatment from management in Ambulance Victoria through the entire investigation process that was worse. Three years on, I haven’t received any form of resolution. I haven’t received an apology,” the former employee said.

Ambulance Victoria paramedics and staff who experienced similar bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment at work are still waiting for an independent redress scheme to be established, which was first recommended more than two and a half years ago by the state’s human rights watchdog.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) in November 2021 delivered a scathing report which exposed the toxic culture at Ambulance Victoria.

A key recommendation was for an independent restorative engagement scheme to be established “as soon as practicable” for current and former employees and first responders.

The scheme was only to operate for 18 months from when it began — but more than two and a half years since that recommendation was made, consultation on a proposal has only recently begun, and a start date is still unknown.

Furious Ambulance Victoria insiders have sounded the alarm over government inaction, with some employees yet to return to work because of the trauma they were subject to on the job.

The VEOHRC report, which surveyed 2163 Ambulance Victoria workers and found more than half had been bullied, identified that “certain behaviours, particularly everyday forms of disrespect, have seeped into the fabric of the organisation”.

Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said his members had to battle with the delay.

Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill, speaking about the broader recommendations, said the review was supposed to improve Ambulance Victoria and make it a safer and more inclusive workplace.

“After two years, our members are still forced to battle for these things everyday,” he said.

“Whether our members are raising a health and safety matter or trying to get a family friendly roster, Ambulance Victoria fight them every step of the way”.

Ambulance Managers and Professionals Association (AMPA) Victorian director Scott Crawford said while improvements to the internal complaints process had been made, many “legacy investigations” are still without resolution years later.

Mr Crawford said the justice compensation scheme was a critical recommendation that had taken too long to implement.

“Many of the victims – current and former employees – have not received a cent, let alone an apology, for the horrific physical and psychological injuries they sustained at Ambulance Victoria,” he said.

But AV said they had no oversight of the scheme.

Ambulance Victoria said the scheme was entirely independent and stressed they had no oversight of it.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is understood to be responsible for delivering the scheme, told the Herald Sun it was a matter for the Department of Health.

After inquiring with the health department, the Premier’s office intervened and said they would respond.

“Work is continuing on options for the scheme and an update will be provided in due course,” a government spokesman said.