Rio Tinto ‘shamed’ by alarming sexual harassment, bullying and racism

Staff across Rio Tinto’s global operations from corporate offices to remote mine sites are being subjected to alarming rates of sexual harassment, racism and bullying in the workplace.

Australia’s second-largest miner has released an independent report by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, who surveyed more than 10,000 of Rio Tinto’s 45,000 employees and found systemic bullying, sexism and racism were common. These harmful behaviours were often tolerated or normalised, the report found.

An independent report has found widespread harassment at Rio Tinto, including office-based workers.Credit: Will Willitts

A “culture of silence” put workers off reporting unacceptable behaviour and some surveyed thought supervisors who bully and harass were rewarded with career progression, the report found.

Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the findings should deeply disturb anyone who read them. “I feel shame and enormous regret to have learned the extent to which bullying, sexual harassment and racism are happening at Rio Tinto,” he said.

“It’s not just a couple of sites where things have to change ... this is much more systemic.”

Rio Tinto managers briefed employees about the report on Tuesday. Mr Stausholm said the findings demonstrated that the company was at the “foothill of the mountain, but we are determined to get to the top”.

More than one in three female employees aged 25-34 had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years, the investigation found. Among Rio Tinto’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce, the incidence was even higher, with more than 40 per cent of all women having experienced sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of being intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive, such as physical contact, advances, sexual remarks, showing pornography and sexual demands.

Twenty-one women reported experiencing actual or attempted rape or sexual assault in the past five years.

Women at FIFO worksites spoke of eating alone in their rooms to avoid harassment in the dining hall and the gym; of avoiding being out after dark; of bad lighting and poor security; and of harassing and even threatening behaviour from male colleagues when they were walking to their accommodation after work.

Women also spoke of the lack of consequences when they reported the incidents; and of having to carry the burden of managing the situation themselves, rather than receiving support from management or human resources.

Many workers on Rio’s mine sites in Australia are contractors, not direct employees, but contractors participated in just four of 109 “listening sessions” conducted for the report.

“I find that a lot of Rio Tinto employees bully contractors,” a contractor said.

“The power imbalance is so extreme.”

A WA parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment in the state’s fly-in, fly-out mining industry received harrowing testimony of how that power was used against a female contractor who wanted to work directly for the miner. The Rio Tinto supervisor with the authority to approve her move told her to “get on her knees first” and perform oral sex if she wanted his sign-off.

Ms Broderick’s report found the harassment was as common in city offices as on mine sites. The highest levels of sexual harassment – 14 per cent of respondents – were reported in the WA iron ore business and the office-based strategy, sustainability and development teams.

As well as sexual harassment, the report also addressed racism and bullying.

Nearly 40 per cent of Rio Tinto’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees said they had experienced racism in the past five years. “I have copped racism in every single corner of this company,” one worker said.

Some non-white women had a particularly hard time at Rio Tinto, experiencing both sexism and racism. “Rio is a Caucasian-oriented company,” one employee commented.

As well as being white, it helped to be male, and a particular sort of male as well.

“It is such a masculine environment, it’s actually hard not to take on some of that behaviour because it’s the only way you can get by and be included,” one worker reported.

Almost half of the workforce reported having been bullied, and spoke of resultant loss of confidence, declining performance, anxiety and depression. “Bullies often appeared to progress at Rio Tinto, rather than experience consequences for their behaviour,” the report said.

“These bullies are very good at managing up,” a worker said.

In response to the issues the report documented, Rio Tinto has sanctioned 142 supervisors and dismissed 38 supervisors for disrespectful behaviour.

Mr Stausholm ordered the investigation in 2021 after internal reviews and parliamentary inquiries into issues including sexual harassment on mine sites and the treatment of Aboriginal cultural heritage uncovered failures in the company’s culture, attitudes and processes.

Mr Stausholm, who has led the miner for one year since a management clear-out in response to the destruction of Aboriginal heritage at Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara, said stamping out harassment had to address deeper cultural issues.

“You have to keep on creating the environment where you make sure that … people are sharing things with you because if you’re not aware, you cannot address it,” he said.

“I’m absolutely determined to address these things that should not happen .... It has to be a safe and respectful environment in our company.”

Mr Stausholm said the key was to address harassment in the same way the industry tackled safety and make it a non-negotiable priority.

All major resource companies are tackling similar workplace behaviour issues to Rio Tinto. However, none questioned plan to conduct an independent review of the past for public release as Rio Tinto has done.

Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines said the company had launched a review in mid-2021 to gather workers’ experiences and suggestions.

“In line with our zero-tolerance approach to harassment, bullying and intimidation, we will continue to strongly encourage all our team to speak up,” Ms Gaines said.

Chevron Australia human resources manager Chris Watts said the company was engaging an external consultant to advise on how best to tackle unacceptable behaviours.

A BHP spokeswoman said having an inclusive and diverse workplace had been a priority for a number of years. A Woodside spokesperson said it had strengthened its harassment policies with clear definitions of unacceptable behaviours.

WA mines and petroleum minister Bill Johnston said he was shocked by the findings of the report.

“This is completely unacceptable and condemnable in any workplace,” he said.

“I’m pleased that Rio Tinto has acknowledged this and is taking action.”

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