SYDNEY—When one
PLC worker reported she had been sexually harassed by a colleague, a manager told her it had probably been meant as a joke. Another employee said they felt so unsafe in the presence of a male manager that they had contemplated suicide.
Other employees at the global mining company spoke of frequent bullying by managers, racist comments, and a culture that consistently tolerates inappropriate behavior. Many were scared to report abusive behavior in case it harmed their careers.
The misconduct was detailed in a report commissioned last year by Rio Tinto and published on Tuesday. The report found that 48% of employees had experienced bullying and that 11% of staff had been sexually harassed. In both instances, women were disproportionately affected. The report by former Australian Sex Discrimination…
