Nine reviews reveal a “systemic problem with abuse of power, bullying, discrimination and harassment”

Nine Entertainment has released an independent investigation into workplace practices and culture, finding that the network has a systemic problem with abuse of power and authority, bullying, discrimination and harassment, and sexual harassment.

The research, conducted by leading organizational culture agency Intersection, included a company-wide survey and extensive interviews with members of the TV News & Current Affairs department.

The Review of the Broadcast Division revealed disturbing findings: 62 percent of employees reported abuse of power or authority. The qualitative data collected from interviews and submissions highlights a workplace culture that lacks accountability and where decisions are driven by personal preferences rather than merit.

The research shows that bullying and harassment are reportedly rampant, with top performers often carrying heavier workloads, while underperforming companies face no consequences. Individuals out of favor with leadership are assigned undesirable tasks and shifts, further entrenching inequality within the division. This dynamic creates a toxic environment in which an individual’s role or status is used to belittle or exclude others, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and unfair treatment.

In addition, 57 percent of employees reported that they had experienced bullying, discrimination or intimidation, with behavior such as public humiliation, disparaging comments and intimidation becoming common. The driving force behind this behavior is a lack of leadership accountability, power imbalances, gender inequality, a lack of diversity and significant distrust in leaders at all levels of the company.

Although sexual harassment rates in the division were below the industry average, 30 percent of employees still reported incidents, often exacerbated by social events involving alcohol.

Despite these negative experiences, many employees emphasized positive aspects of the workplace, such as strong support from colleagues, good leadership and dedication to their role. Over the past two years, significant improvements have been noted as a result of management changes, with employees feeling more respected and hopeful about the future, highlighting the potential for positive cultural shifts within the organization.

The response of the board

The Nine Board received the Intersection report today and, in the interests of transparency, released it in full to Nine’s 5,000-person workforce and made it public. The report will provide information on ongoing work to strengthen Nine’s organizational and workplace culture. The report made 22 recommendations, prioritized by fundamental, intermediate and advanced changes needed to reset culture on Nine.

After reviewing the report’s findings, the Nine Board committed to implementing all 22 recommendations and asked management to provide the Board and employees with a comprehensive action plan to improve the company’s culture by November 2024.

“Today is an incredibly difficult day for Nine as we come to terms with these findings and reflect as an organization on serious cultural issues. The behavior outlined in the report is unacceptable. Abuse of power, bullying, sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior are not okay. There is no place for this behavior at Nine,” said Catherine West, chairman of Nine.

“We recognize that too many of our former and current employees have been harmed by poor workplace culture, the prevalence of inappropriate workplace behavior and Nine’s past inadequate response to that behaviour.”

“To anyone who has experienced inappropriate behavior that does not meet Nine’s values, we are deeply sorry. On behalf of the board, I apologize without reservation.”

“The strength and courage these individuals have shown in sharing their stories as part of this process will enable us to move forward as an organization with a clear understanding of where we went wrong and their insights will help shape the culture of Nine to strengthen for the better. We thank them for that.”

“Despite the proactive culture change agenda already underway, the reality is that much more needs to be done and a cultural reset is needed. Nine’s board and leadership team are united in their commitment to accelerating and driving the change required.”

“The Intersection report is difficult to read for the many people who love working for Nine and everything we stand for. It was personally disturbing for me to read these stories of our people. The behavior experienced by many of our people across the business is not acceptable in any workplace and is well below what our people have a right to expect in the working environment,” said Matt Stanton, acting CEO of Nine.

“While it is important that all of us at Nine take a moment to reflect today, we also move forward with the resolve to do better. We have a responsibility to our people to create a safe and respectful working environment so that they can perform at their best. Our people deserve nothing less.”

“This report reflects the findings of the most comprehensive study of culture ever conducted in the Australian media sector. While our survey contains sobering findings, the strong participation in the survey is indicative of the willingness of the Nine’s employees to be part of the cultural change,” said Natasha de Silva, Director of Intersection.

“The recommendations from the review are designed to build a safe, respectful and inclusive culture at Nine going forward. I am encouraged by the Board and management’s commitment to transparency, as evidenced by the full release of the assessment report, and by their commitment to implementing the recommendations.”