Rio Tinto workplace review reveals 'concerning behaviours'
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The news: Rio Tinto's external progress review on workplace culture has revealed "concerning behaviours" persisting in some areas of the business and requires "sustained attention" to address effectively.
The numbers: The independent progress review, conducted by former Australian sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and found that in the past year:
- Eight people reported experiencing actual or attempted sexual assault or rape, compared to five people in 2021;
- 32 people reported experiencing pressure or requests for sex or sexual acts, compared to 37 people in 2021;
- 7% of respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment, the same as in 2021;
- 39% of respondents reported experiencing bullying, up from 31% in 2021; and
- 7% of respondents reported experiencing racism, the same number as in 2021.
The report said that Rio Tinto staff reported a perceived improvement in relation to bullying (50%), sexual harassment (47%) and racism (46%) compared to 2021.
However, 8% thought bullying had become worse, 2% thought sexual harassment had become worse and 4% thought racism was worse.
Rio Tinto said that over 11,600 individual contributions of experiences, views and insights were made to the progress review process. Feedback was gathered through an online survey reaching 10,000 participants, listening sessions involving more than 1,300 people, and more than 340 detailed written submissions.
The context: The findings of the review were delivered two years into a long-term cultural change program across Rio Tinto's global operations.
The mining giant said it has shaped the next stage of its plan to further embed existing interventions and accelerate change focused around three priority areas: equipping frontline leaders to drive change; building buy-in for change across all areas of our workforce; and securing and retaining diverse talent.
What they said: "People are still experiencing behaviours and attitudes in our company that are unacceptable and harmful," Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said.
"I am greatly troubled by this and sincerely apologise on behalf of our leadership team to anyone affected.
"I want to thank everyone across our business who has shown the courage to speak up, as your honesty will guide our ongoing efforts to become an organisation where every day is safe, respectful, and productive for everyone."
Broderick said: "Two years on, the progress is evident and there is an ongoing commitment to this work".
"I am not surprised to see some areas where results haven’t improved, this is a normal part of the cultural change process," she said.
"With sustained focus from Rio Tinto, we should expect to see the positive change spread over time."
The source: Rio Tinto media release
