Rio Tinto employees report increase in bullying and sexual assault | mining

Half of those surveyed also say the mining giant’s workplace culture has improved ‘a lot’ or ‘somewhat’.

More than a third of workers at Rio Tinto have been bullied in the past 12 months, according to a progress review nearly three years after the mining giant pledged to tackle widespread sexism and racism in the workplace.

Of the nearly 12,000 Rio Tinto employees surveyed, 39 percent reported being bullied, according to a report released by the British-Australian company on Wednesday. This rate was 31 percent in 2021.

Female employees were more likely to say they had been bullied.

Half of women surveyed reported such experiences, compared to 36 percent of men, rising to 36 percent of women and 29 percent of men in 2021.

The increase in bullying against women was partly due to “increased retaliation in the form of gender-based bullying in response to Rio Tinto’s efforts to promote gender diversity and inclusion,” the report said.

Seven percent of respondents (16 percent of women and 4 percent of men) said they had experienced sexual harassment; This rate did not change compared to 2021.

Eight employees said they experienced actual sexual assault or rape or attempted sexual assault or rape, compared to five in 2021.

Despite the findings, nearly half of employees reported that the workplace culture at the company had improved.

Fifty percent of respondents said the situation regarding bullying had improved “a lot” or “somewhat,” while 47 percent and 46 percent reported improvements regarding sexual harassment and racism, respectively.

The review also found that 26 of the recommendations outlined in the company’s commissioned 2022 Everyday Respect Report have been largely implemented.

Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto’s chief executive, said he was “very disturbed” that workers were still exhibiting harmful behavior but was encouraged by the company’s efforts to change.

“The review also shows that while progress is being made, achieving the sustainable change we want to see in our culture will require continued focus and effort,” Stausholm said in a statement. he said.

“My message today is that we will stay on this path.”

The review, led by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, comes after a 2022 parliamentary inquiry in Western Australia found sexual harassment and assault were widespread in the mining industry.