Chevron found almost half of employees and contractors in Australia have been bullied in the past five years and a third experienced sexual harassment, adding to shocking revelations of abuse across the nation’s key resources sector.
- Almost half of Chevron’s employees and contractors in Australia have been bullied since 2017.
- Women encountered “inappropriate behaviours” at a higher rate than men, a study of nearly 570 workers found.
- Australia’s mining and energy sectors have come under serious pressure to reform after several reports from major companies in the sector.
Women encountered “inappropriate behaviours” at a higher rate than men and only 10% of employees who experienced sexual harassment reported the most recent incident, a survey found. The study of nearly 570 workers was led by Intersection, an external consultancy, and comes after a major government inquiry exposed widespread problems in the industry.
“Bullying, harassment and discrimination occurs in our workplaces, and not everyone feels confident in reporting these incidents through the various channels available,” Mark Hatfield, managing director of Chevron Australia, said in a statement. “We accept the report and are determined to take meaningful action.”
Australia’s mining and energy sectors have come under serious pressure to reform after several reports from industry leaders such as Rio Tinto Group and BHP Group Ltd. disclosed bullying, racism and sexual abuse. A Western Australia-government report published in June also included allegations at projects operated by Woodside Energy Group Ltd. and Chevron, prompting calls for improvements from investors, lawmakers and communities.
Chevron, which has operations including giant liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Western Australia, vowed to address all forms of harassment and discrimination at its sites. A dedicated project manager reporting to Hatfield has been appointed to help implement the report’s recommendations, the company said.
