Nearly 100 ABC employees have reported being sexually harassed at work, while a quarter have said they have been bullied, according to a shocking new survey.
A total of 745 employees responded to a survey carried out by the Center for Social Research at the Australian National University at the request of female workers.
The report found that 13 percent (96 employees) had experienced sexual harassment in the past two years, while 29 percent said they had been bullied.
The work environment was found to be worse for women, who were twice as likely to be harassed and also made up 90 percent of sexual harassment victims.
Less than a quarter of respondents who experienced sexual harassment reported the incident, and many said it was due to fear it would negatively affect their careers.
Nearly 100 ABC employees have reported being sexually harassed at work, while a quarter have said they have been bullied, according to a shocking new survey (file image)
ABC chief executive David Anderson (pictured) said an urgent “cultural change” was needed in the newsroom and told all staff in an email there would be consequences for those who behaved in a ” “unacceptable manner.”
More than 200 female workers also said they did not feel safe at work, according to the survey.
While 399 employees said they had been bullied in the workplace over the past two years, 65 percent of them did not report it.
The most common forms of harassment reported in the survey were “intimidation, belittling, and humiliating comments.”
ABC chief executive David Anderson said an urgent “cultural change” was needed in the newsroom and told all staff in an email that there would be consequences for those who behaved in an “unacceptable manner”.
“The report’s findings show that ABC News staff have experienced workplace bullying and sexual harassment during their employment at ABC,” Mr. Anderson wrote.
‘Bullying and… sexual harassment are unacceptable in any workplace.
“If someone doesn’t understand or accept this, then the ABC is not the work environment for them.”
ABC news director Justin Stevens echoed Anderson’s concerns, saying sexual harassment and bullying simply “should not happen” at the national broadcaster (file image)
ABC news director Justin Stevens echoed Anderson’s concerns, saying sexual harassment and bullying simply “should not happen” at the national broadcaster.
“For those who engage in these behaviors, it is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it,” he said in an email.
“Anyone who behaves like this or who justifies it in any way is not welcome at the ABC.”
The news director also said the results also showed that the majority enjoyed working at ABC and had made good friendships during their time.
The broadcaster has created a portal that allows staff to anonymously report cases of bullying and sexual harassment.