Rio Tinto has said the number of its employees who reported they have experienced actual or attempted sexual assault or rape has increased over the last two years, despite efforts to improve its workplace culture in recent years.
A report on the Anglo-Australian mining company, authored by the former Australian sex discrimination commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, found “mixed results” in its efforts to implement a programme to change its culture in an effort stamp out sexual assault, bullying and racism.
Broderick’s 76-page report on the company, which employs 57,000 globally, noted that a rise in bullying against women was in part “retaliation” to Rio Tinto’s efforts to “promote gender diversity and inclusion”.
The report revealed that eight allegations of rape or attempted rape in the past 12 months, up from five cases in 2021. The report also found 32 employees reported experiencing pressure or requests for sex or sexual acts, down from 37 people in 2021.
Overall, 39% of survey respondents had experienced bullying in the last 12 months – up from 31% in 2021.
“Generally, while reports of bullying increased across all genders, the largest increase between 2021 and 2024 was against women,” the report said.
“This change can be explained by a range of factors including increasing retaliation in the form of gendered bullying as a response to Rio Tinto’s efforts to promote gender diversity and inclusion.”
Kellie Parker, Rio Tinto’s chief executive for Australia, said: “It’s horrible that people are still experiencing this awful behaviour.”
She said there had been a “significant increase” in terminations as more people reported some of these behaviours to the company. “There’s definitely a spectrum of behaviour here,” she said.
“You get low-level sexism and racism and people often once they’ve … been given feedback, they absolutely change. But some of the way more serious cases that we’ve seen, it’s been terminations, and that absolutely has happened across our business.”
One in two women at the company were more likely to have experienced bullying in the last 12 months compared with 36% of men, the report said. Those figures were a deterioration from 2021, where 36% of women and 29% of men said they suffered bullying.
The report found some men inside the company, which operates in 35 countries, felt aggrieved by diversification programmes in the company.
“From men, resistance was primarily located in the sense of being undervalued or overlooked due to the perceived stronger focus on gender balance and diversity, with some expressing their view that there was reverse discrimination and that women were being hired who were not suitably qualified,” the report said.
“There was specific resistance towards programmes and strategies targeted at women and other marginalised groups, such as leadership programmes.”
Rio Tinto’s chief executive, Jakob Stausholm, apologised to victims and vowed to continue with Rio’s programmes.
“People are still experiencing behaviours and attitudes in our company that are unacceptable and harmful. I am greatly troubled by this and sincerely apologise on behalf of our leadership team to anyone affected.”
Stausholm also pointed to points of progress outlined in the review, which showed some workers were noticing an improvement in the culture: two in three employees were quite confident Rio Tinto would make a “meaningful difference” in the next two years.
“The review also shows that while progress is being made, achieving the sustained change we want to see in our culture will require ongoing focus and effort. My message today is that we will stay the course,” he said.
Broderick – who was appointed by Rio in 2021 to conduct an independent review into its workplace culture – “applauded” some of the company’s efforts, which included investment in security upgrades at its camps, and setting quotas for increasing female participation in its workforce.
“Two years on, the progress is evident and there is an ongoing commitment to this work. I am not surprised to see some areas where results haven’t improved, this is a normal part of the cultural change process,” she said.
“With sustained focus from Rio Tinto, we should expect to see the positive change spread over time.”
Almost 12,000 people were interviewed for the new report, covering Rio Tinto’s operations in locations including Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Mongolia.
Bonuses at Rio Tinto, which is valued at nearly £84bn, have in part been linked to progress made in adopting recommendations made by Broderick.
