Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX:NEC) has issued an apology following an independent review that found widespread instances of abuse, bullying, and harassment within the organisation.
The review, conducted by workplace culture agency Intersection, revealed that 52% of Nine employees had witnessed or experienced abuse of power, while 49% had faced bullying, discrimination or harassment, and 24% had been subjected to sexual harassment.
Nine chair Catherine West expressed the board’s disappointment, stating, “The report found Nine has a systemic cultural issue with abuse of power and authority; bullying, discrimination and harassment; and sexual harassment. No department is immune, and the results are concerning across the company.”
The findings were detailed in the Out in the Open report, which gathered data from over 1,000 participants through interviews, written submissions, and surveys.
The report also highlighted that certain divisions, such as broadcast, radio and Stan, had particularly high levels of inappropriate workplace behaviours, with figures notably worse than in other departments.
Nine’s acting chief executive Matt Stanton acknowledged the systemic nature of the issues, saying: “This is about systemic issues within the organisation.”
While the report’s recommendations include structural changes and third-party complaint systems, there have been no immediate dismissals.