A report released by Rio Tinto outlines a culture of bullying, harassment and racism at the global mining giant, including 21 complaints of actual or attempted rape or sexual assault over the past five years.
Nearly half of all employees who responded to an external review of the miner's workplace culture commissioned by Rio Tinto said they had been bullied, while racism was found to be common across a number of areas.
Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the results were "disturbing" and the company would implement all 26 recommendations from the report by former Australian sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.
"The eye-opener for me was two-fold," Mr Stausholm told Reuters.
"I hadn't realised how much bullying exists in the company and secondly that it's quite systemic - the three issues of bullying, sexual harassment and racism ... that's extremely disturbing."
Rio Tinto launched the review in March last year, not long after Stausholm took over the top job in the wake of a widespread backlash against the company after it blasted the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters to expand an iron ore mine.
More than 10,000 employees, nearly a quarter of its 45,000-strong workplace shared their experiences and views for the study.
The report, released on Tuesday, found nearly 30 per cent women and about seven per cent of men have experienced sexual harassment at work, with 21 women reporting actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.
Racism was a "significant challenge" for employees at many locations. People working in a country different to their birth experienced high rates of racism while nearly 40 per cent of men who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in Australia had experienced racism.
"I have copped racism in every single corner of this company," one employee was anonymously quoted as saying.
Rio Tinto said reforms will focus on a commitment from the company's leadership to create a safe and inclusive working environment, including by increasing diversity within the company.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said the results of the external review were "disturbing". Source: AAP
It would also ensure the company's remote mine site facilities are safe, and make it easier for staff to call out unacceptable behaviours.
UnionsWA secretary Owen Whittle said much more needs to be done to ensure the safety of workers in the resources sector.
"With nearly half of the workforce reporting bullying, it is clear that they have failed workers over a long period of time and need to do far more to prevent harassment and bullying in workplaces," he said.
The Rio Tinto report comes ahead of the release of another report by the West Australian state government later this year on sexual harassment at mining camps in the state.
WA minister Rita Saffioti said she was disturbed by the number of allegations.
"You want everyone to be able to feel safe in their workplace. Also in particular in those areas where you're a bit more isolated from friends and family and you want to have the utmost protection from having that type of behaviour," she told ABC News.
Nearly 80 per cent of Rio Tinto's workforce is male.
"Creating a safe, respectful work culture will encourage people of all backgrounds and diversity to thrive in our organisations," Rio Tinto's Australian chief executive Kellie Parker told Reuters.
