Nine’s review into harassment and bullying is flooded with complaints

A groundswell of anger among female employees at Nine Entertainment is sweeping through all corners of the media company.

Nine Entertainment chief executive Mike Sneesby. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman.

A groundswell of anger among ­female employees at Nine Entertainment is sweeping through all corners of the media company, with dozens of current and former employees having lodged complaints about mistreatment at the hands of senior staff.

The Australian has been told that a rush of employees – most of whom are women – came forward in the past week to make claims of bullying, misogyny, harassment and inappropriate workplace conduct, with the alleged abuse dating back more than a decade in some cases.

Many women have either already lodged formal complaints to the network’s independent and external review, or are planning to do so in coming days.

One female insider, who did not wish to be identified, said the past five weeks – since The Australian first revealed serious misconduct charges had been levelled against news director Darren Wick before he left the network in March – had taken its toll on staff.

“The process has been really triggering for a lot of women who normalised all the shit they went through, but it’s made us all realise how toxic the environment was and is,” the insider said.

“Women are supporting each other and there’s a real sisterhood in there.

“But this extends far beyond news – the whole place has issues.”

It is understood dozens of ­people – male and female – have already lodged complaints about allegations of misconduct at the network with boutique consulting firm Intersection, which began its investigation three weeks ago.

The insider said many employees have been discussing the need for an overhaul of Nine’s 11-member management team, which is headed by chief executive Mike Sneesby.

The woman said some staff blamed Nine’s management for “the cover-ups, lying to staff and the gushy emails about Wickie”.

“Possibly, if there’s an overhaul at the top, then we will believe there will be real change,” she said.

One woman – who recently completed an interview with Intersection, during which she reported her experiences of being subjected to inappropriate conduct while she was working on one of the network’s top-rating shows a decade ago – said she was “older and wiser” now, and that was why she had come forward to register her complaint.

Another woman who spoke to The Australian anonymously on Sunday claimed she was groped by Wick at an all-staff function several years ago, and nothing was done about it.

Former Channel 9 news boss Darren Wick. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw.

The woman, who was in her twenties and relatively new to Nine at the time of the alleged assault, said there was an unspoken understanding in the newsroom that it was “the end of your career” if you spoke up about any harassment or bullying by senior males.

The woman, who no longer works at Nine, spoke of an incident at an office party where she claims she was assaulted by Wick in full view of dozens of witnesses, but no one intervened.

“It was a ratings party and at some point in the night he started feeling me up, groping my arse. It was hugely shocking for your boss to be doing something like that in a room full of people,” she said.

“And then he would work his way around the room to do it to others.

“It was horrific. Everyone could see it happening but nothing ever happened to him.

“This was a guy who could make or break a career. He had so much power. In the end that’s why I left because I didn’t want my work to be defined by him.”

The woman said the emergence of so many allegations against Wick, and of anecdotes of management turning a blind eye, had dredged up a lot of traumatic memories.

“I now realise that I haven’t moved on. I thought I had but I clearly haven’t buried the anger at being taken advantage of like that,” she said. “It’s mixed in with shame and guilt for not saying anything earlier but overwhelmingly I feel anger that he was allowed to do that shit to so many for so long. It should never have been allowed to occur.”

The Australian understands the independent review is scrutinising predatory behaviour, power and gender imbalances among staff, salaries being used to weaponise employees, and a boozy ­culture.

Some female on-air staff are believed to have complained of developing eating disorders while working at the network.

Wick did not respond to a request for comment.

Nine has previously declined to provide details of the process of the review.

Originally published as Nine’s review into harassment and bullying is flooded with complaints