Victorian ALP: Workplace culture problems exposed in leaked report

A review of the Victorian Labor Party’s workplace culture has exposed a string of problems in areas such as gender equity and factional infighting.

The report showed morale within the Victorian ALP was low.

The Victorian ALP has been rocked by a damning assessment of its workplace culture which has raised a string of issues including around gender equity.

Inappropriate factional issues have also been cited in the report which rated morale at the ALP’s Victorian head office a 3.3 out of 10.

No employee rated the workforce morale higher than 5, prompting a series of recommendations to urgently address the culture.

Labor sources said the catalyst for the review was an issue around the incorrect printing of election material which brought workplace issues to a head.

“The universal assessment that the overall morale of the workforce is low, and consistently lower than their own (personal) morale, is a strong indicator of a poor workplace culture,” the report found.

A copy of the leaked report, obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun, was provided to the party’s administrative committee this week ahead of its first meeting since 2020 when the party was subjected to a federal takeover.

Gender equity was one area highlighted in the leaked report.

It was prepared by Julius Roe, a 40 year industrial relations veteran, and former national president of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.

Mr Roe found no suggestion of inappropriate personal conduct including sexual harassment, bullying, misogyny, or discrimination.

But he said work needed to be undertaken to address gender equity.

“There is still work to do in respect to equity and there are instances where women’s voices are inadequately heard and respected,” he said.

“Habits developed in a formerly male dominated party and workplace culture have not been eradicated.

“Continued efforts at education about appropriate workplace behaviour and respect at work are needed.

“There are also serious conflicts between a few individuals in the office.”

Inappropriate factional considerations, a lack of trust and collegiality and failure to resolve issues promptly were all cited as key concerns.

Other issues raised included a lack of consistent processes and practices within a high-pressure, high-demand work environment.

“Unfortunately, the negative factors are currently predominant in the office,” Mr Roe found.

“A number of reported comments and my observations from the interviews suggest that some employees may not have fully embraced and understood appropriate standards of behaviour in a contemporary workplace.”

Victorian Labor secretary Chris Ford unexpectedly resigned.

“The lack of strong communication undermines common purpose and leads to uncertainty and fear of change.”

Recommendations to address the negative culture include further team building exercises and changes to the managerial structure of the office.

The report comes just a month after the shock resignation of former Victorian Labor state secretary Chris Ford.

Mr Ford resigned from his senior role leading the party to take up a role within the private sector.

A Victorian Labor spokesperson said “everyone deserves a safe workplace”.

“We have made progress implementing the recommendations in the report,” they said.