A long-awaited review by the former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has found hundreds of staff at consultancy giant EY’s Oceania operations have endured bullying, racism and sexual harassment with more than two-in-five having considered quitting.
The survey of 4,500 current and former staff found 15% had experienced some form of bullying in the past five years, with women more likely to have been targeted. The report found 10% of staff had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years, with women again more likely to have been targeted.
About 8% of staff reported racism during this same period with people identifying as Indian, Chinese and Māori most targeted. Those with religious beliefs, particularly Hinduism and Islam, were also more likely to have experienced racism.
Elizabeth Broderick & Co’s report also confirmed a lack of trust in EY reporting mechanisms with many staff choosing to remain silent. Only one-third of people who were subjected to bullying reported the behaviour to HR. One in 20 people reported instances of racism.
The report was triggered by the death of a 33-year-old EY employee at the Sydney office last year. EY Oceania’s regional managing partner, David Larocca, said the report’s findings were “distressing and completely unacceptable”.
“Bullying, sexual harassment and racism have no place at EY Oceania and I apologise to anyone who has suffered as a result,” Larocca said in a statement accompanying the report.
“The purpose of this independent review was to enable us to listen and learn so that we can action the feedback. We are determined to ensure EY Oceania is a more respectful and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels empowered to speak up”.
“While the report shows many people have had a positive experience working at EY Oceania, it also shows that this is not everyone’s experience and that we have fallen short of the standard that everyone who works at EY has a right to expect. The impact of long working hours is also significant and taking a heavy toll on the wellbeing of many of our people.”
Long working days were highlighted by many EY staff. Almost half of respondents said their workings hours had negatively affected their health. Around one-third of EY staff were working more than 51 hours a week, with 11% working more than 61 hours.
“More than two in five people are considering quitting their role as a result of their long working hours,” the report said. Management reported much higher rates, at almost 50%.
The Broderick report made 27 recommendations for change, including training to improve awareness of “the impact of harmful behaviours” and measures to reduce excessive work hours.
Broderick said the independent report “exposes the hard truths about less positive aspects of culture”.
“The review provides a strong platform for EY Oceania to shape its own workforce for the future, learning from the many voices who spoke to the review team,” Broderick said in a statement.
“These findings may [also] be a source of learning for other professional services firms across Australia and the globe.”
