Toowoomba Regional Council won’t release confidential report into workplace bullying, harassment

A $207,000 report into bullying and sexual harassment complaints within the Toowoomba Regional Council will not be released to the public.

TRC CEO Brian Pidgeon. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A confidential report into bullying and sexual harassment claims made within the Toowoomba Regional Council will remain hidden from the public.

The Chronicle was this week denied access to the $207,000 report by PKF Integrity, with CEO Brian Pidgeon confirming the document would not be accessible by either council staff members or members of the public.

Councillors last month endorsed a raft of immediate recommendations and actions based on the report’s findings, such as installing a whistleblower hotline, reviewing its bullying and harassment policy and outsourcing investigations into workplace and industrial relations complaints.

It comes nine months after leaked staff survey results suggested just three per cent of sexual harassment and bullying instances were actually formally reported.

One former employee told The Chronicle they were subjected to abuse from their superiors and were also urged not to report those instances.

Mr Pidgeon said the decision to keep the report confidential was made by the councillors based on the advice of the document’s contents.

“Council cares about its staff and the contributions they make to the community and values the importance of providing them with a healthy and safe environment,” he said.

“This is why council made a decision to engage an external consultant to see what changes could be made to improve culture within our workplace.

“The consultants reviewed data from our previous staff surveys and spoke with past and current employees to see what changes could be made to continue to improve the work environment for employees, with their final report provided to council for consideration.

“As stated on the report which went before Council in November, this item was kept confidential as it contained industrial matters affecting employees, matters that may directly affect the health and safety of an individual or a group, and legal advice.

“As the item was determined to be confidential by council, the report will not be made public to members of the public or to staff.”

Mr Pidgeon said the 24 recommendations would be implemented over the coming years, with some to be actioned within a couple of months.

“We’re committed towards implementing the items within the action plan to improve the work environment and culture for all employees,” he said.

“These recommendations range from reviewing and implementing new Bullying and Harassment Policy and Procedure through to mentoring, coaching and organisational development and training programs for our workforce.

To read the full list of the recommendations and actions, head to thechronicle.com.au.