SBS urged to release report on ‘allegations of bullying and racism’
The SBS is being urged to release a 2020 report into allegations of bullying and racism, and to commission a new independent investigation into reports “regarding the mistreatment of Indigenous and multicultural staff”.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance’s (MEAA) SBS MEAA House Committee is calling for “increased transparency regarding SBS’s handling of workplace issues, specifically the investigation into allegations of bullying and racism commissioned by Managing Director James Taylor in 2020 but never released publicly or to staff”.
This comes after the ABC’s bombshell workplace report earlier this year, which found “racism is systemic at the ABC and that ABC policies and processes are disadvantageous to First Nations and CALD staff”, and the recent Nine Intersection report, which found “concerning levels of inappropriate workplace behaviours at Nine”.
The MEAA notes: “Recent years at SBS have been marked by a series of internal upheavals and allegations of discriminatory practices, affecting numerous staff, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. Alarming reports have surfaced during this period regarding the mistreatment of Indigenous and multicultural staff. These issues, despite the Taylor-commissioned investigation, have not yet been fully addressed or resolved.”
The union says “racism and bullying are not issues of the past—they are ongoing challenges at SBS” and the current culture “requires urgent examination and action.”
The MEAA is calling on the SBS to commission a new independent review into workplace discrimination and cultural inclusion, “to ensure it is accountable”, and to release the Taylor-commissioned report in full and “consult with staff on actions taken to address its findings.”
An SBS spokesperson provided the following comment to Mumbrella:
“SBS takes the welfare of its employees and the obligation to ensure a safe, inclusive working environment extremely seriously.
“The allegations made in 2020 were addressed openly and transparently at the time, including in discussions with MEAA and in extensive consultation with our staff.
“This resulted in comprehensive process reviews and the introduction of a suite of initiatives (many of which were co-designed with staff members), with outcomes and progress reported monthly via our staff intranet.
“Since that time SBS has made significant progress and continues to build even further on this, including through our Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Strategy and our Elevate Reconciliation Plan which are both publicly available.
“We will be responding comprehensively to MEAA, who issued this week’s statement without first contacting SBS, sharing its statement, raising these claims, or indeed any other concerns with SBS. Our staff are always encouraged to raise any complaints or concerns and are reminded regularly of the options for doing so, as well as the support services available.
“SBS stands by our strong and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Racism, bullying and discrimination are abhorrent and have no place at SBS or in any other setting.”
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