On the cover of the “Report into Workplace Culture at Rio Tinto,” published earlier this year, there is a content warning that notes “as a reader, you may experience a range of emotions, particularly if you have directly experienced or witnessed these types of harmful behaviours yourself.”
Reading further, I was reminded of a time in my young adulthood when I was a steel-toed, high-vis-wearing heavy-equipment operator at a shipping yard. The casual misogyny and homophobia of the exclusively male workforce coloured nearly every lunchroom conversation. There were a few on the site who could make your workday miserable if they were in the mood. These things did not concern management; clearing the lineup of inbound trucks as quickly as possible was what mattered.
It was a culture I was happy to leave behind. Other readers of the report will find the details equally familiar and some, as anticipated, will have far stronger reactions.
The authors’ intentions, however, were noble. The report’s purpose “was to identify workplace challenges such as bullying, sexual harassment, racism and other forms of discrimination; and to make recommendations that could strengthen Rio Tinto’s workplace culture and ensure sustained cultural change.” It is part of a larger effort in the company to bring the lived experience of its massive workforce closer in line with the more diverse and inclusive culture that its leadership – and the front offices of many mining industry companies – understands as critical to future success.
The result is a comprehensive document created by a firm led by Elizabeth Broderick, a former sex discrimination commissioner for the Australian government. It was built from the survey of more than 10,000 employees including those in Quebec and Northwest Territories, 109 listening sessions conducted in multiple languages, one-on-one conversations, written submissions and research. It chronicles, with testimonials and data, the experiences of workers across Rio Tinto’s operations.
Among the findings were that nearly half the respondents reported being bullied, that racism and sexism were common across the organization, that serial offenders and their offences were often “open secrets” and that there was a low-level of trust that reporting these problems through formal channels would yield an adequate response.
The results are not flattering, but the company’s leadership has to be commended for asking the difficult questions and sharing the responses. The work already under way to change their company’s culture begins on this solid foundation. And by making the report public, Rio Tinto has created a valuable resource for the rest of the industry, as it outlines a series of to effect company-wide change and to improve and monitor training and governance.
The final recommendation is that in two year’s time an independent agency provide a report on how the implementation of these proposed actions is progressing. I can’t wait to see it and more initiatives like it. For those working in the industry, and for the industry itself, there is so much to be gained.