Latest news with #workplaceharassment
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Latham hears of tweet fallout via video link
Mark Latham had to beam into a courtroom via videolink because of a knee injury as a tribunal was told fellow MP Alex Greenwich's office received a 'barrage' of hateful and threatening messages in the wake of a graphic tweet by the ex-Labor leader. The former Labor leader has faced days of controversy following allegations he abused his former partner, Nathalie Matthews, and sent her sexual messages from the parliament chamber. The member of the NSW upper house has strenuously denied Ms Matthews' allegations, which are untested and contained in an application for an apprehended violence order (AVO) filed in the local court. He not been charged with any criminal offence. Mr Latham's injury was revealed in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Tuesday. Greenwich, an independent Sydney MP, has brought NCAT proceedings against the maverick MP, alleging he was subjected to homosexual vilification and workplace sexual harassment over a graphic tweet by Mr Latham. Mr Latham, through his solicitor Zali Burrows, is contesting the case. Mr Latham did not appear before the tribunal in Sydney on Tuesday, with Ms Burrows telling the court that he had a fractured knee and could not travel. Instead he beamed into the courtroom via video link. The NCAT case is centred on a tweet by Latham, as well as comments made by the former One Nation MP in newspaper and radio interviews. The same tweet was the subject of Federal Court defamation proceedings in which Latham was ordered to pay $140,000 to Greenwich. Federal Court Justice David O'Callaghan ruled in favour of Greenwich during the defamation proceedings, finding that the tweet conveyed the meaning that Greenwich 'engaged in disgusting sexual activities' and that it was defamatory. He also rejected Latham's defence of honest opinion and qualified common law privilege. Greenwich has now launched NCAT proceedings against Latham and his counsel has argued that each of the statements amounted to unlawful homosexual vilification and sexual harassment and that Latham breached the Anti-Discrimination Act. Alexander Graham, who works in Mr Greenwich's office as an electorate officer, told the tribunal the office was inundated with messages in the wake of the Latham tweet. Under cross examination from Ms Burrows, he was asked if Greenwich's office received negative communications at other times, including during the anti-abortion bill debate. Mr Graham said while Greenwich's office did receive letters and emails from people disagreeing with the amendments there wasn't anything 'directly disparaging of Alex'. He told the court the only time he could recall police being called was as a result of the fallout from the Latham tweet. The tribunal heard that some of the abusive calls came from private numbers. 'The abusive phone calls from private numbers, you cannot ascertain they were from genuine haters,' Ms Burrows asked. Greenwich's barrister Prue Bindon objected to the question. Mr Graham later told the tribunal the office received a 'barrage' of hateful letters, emails and phone calls. He said some were written with letters which had been cut from magazines and newspapers. 'There were ones that directly threatened Alex … talking about throwing homosexuals off the bluff,' Mr Graham said. He described some of the communications as 'bizarre' and 'threatening' and that Greenwich's staff began using gloves to open mail. Ms Bindon previously told the tribunal the elements of homophobic vilification alleged in the case hinge on the public act, claiming Latham's comments had incited hatred, contempt or severe ridicule. She said the sexual harassment allegations were in relation to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances where a reasonable person would've anticipated it to cause humiliation or intimidation. Ms Bindon also previously said she anticipated the defence would claim Greenwich's reputation was to some extent not damaged. The matter will return to court next month. The hearing followed Labor deciding to keep his portrait in the Labor's Parliament House party room with a note saying he was 'banned for life' from the party in 2017.
Bloomberg
21-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ex-HSBC Hong Kong Employee Sues Over Racial Discrimination
A former employee of HSBC Holdings Plc in Hong Kong alleges he was racially discriminated against and made redundant after he raised concerns to human resources and senior leadership. Robert Ngugi Tomkinson, previously a senior business analyst with HSBC Global Services (Hong Kong) Ltd., claims that in September 2024, following 'sustained and differential treatment' by a new manager, he raised concerns of racial discrimination that culminated in a formal internal complaint, according to a claim filed with the district court in Hong Kong.
CBC
18-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Military asked to consider dismissing members after 1st offence of unwanted sexual touching
Social Sharing Defence Minister David McGuinty wants the military to review a trend in civilian court toward judges supporting workplaces firing Canadians for any unwanted sexual touching on the job — even if it happened once. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is launching new advisory panels this fall to discipline military members for sexually inappropriate behaviour. The minister is supportive, his office said, of an external monitor's recent recommendation that if the military wants to modernize its conduct process, it could look at a clear pattern in civilian court over the past decade. "Now, more than ever, any type of non-consensual touching of a sexual nature within the context of one's employment is likely to lead to dismissal, even for a single event and even if there are mitigating factors," external monitor Jocelyne Therrien wrote in her June report. Victims and experts have long raised concerns that the military has moved members involved in cases like groping to other units, given them warnings or other remedial measures. Therrien wrote that gone are the days where that's a "viable solution" and it could expose the victim or other staff to risk. The government hired Therrien to track the military's progress implementing changes to try and reform its handling of sexual misconduct. Retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour's landmark 2022 report made sweeping recommendations after a series of senior military leaders were removed from prominent roles amid allegations, causing a damaging and high-profile crisis. Therrien estimates the military is on track to meet "the intent" of Arbour's recommendations by the end of the year. But she flags one of the biggest challenges for military is that files related to misconduct are scattered across different databases which makes it difficult to get a clearer picture of the current state of the issue. WATCH | Can the military change how it handles sexual misconduct?: Is the military capable of changing how it handles sexual misconduct? 3 years ago Therrien's latest report said case law has "rapidly" and "significantly" evolved over the past 10 years. "In reviewing these judgments, I note a clear trend towards supporting dismissal for any sexual touching in the workplace," she wrote. More civilian judges are using the logic that sexual harassment involving unwanted touching is "unequivocally" considered sexual assault which is a criminal offence in Canada, she wrote. Changes to the Canadian Labour Code in 2021 also require federally regulated workplaces to ensure they are harassment-free. Not dismissing people in some cases can lead to liability claims, wrote Therrien. "The fact that similar cases in the past were dealt with through administrative measures other than dismissal no longer carries any weight," Therrien said. The minister's office says McGuinty supports Therrien's recommendation that "the significant evolution in workplace harassment case law should be considered as the CAF continues modernization." McGuinty's office told CBC News the minister will be looking for the upcoming panels "to yield real results." They will include law and sexual misconduct experts, the office said. Therrien's report also said the military is considering launching a "scale of severity" to help determine if members should be kicked out or otherwise reprimanded. People moved around Megan MacKenzie, a professor at Simon Fraser University who specializes in military culture, says the CAF should adopt a one-strike-you're-out policy for unwanted sexual touching. "This is a really significant recommendation," said MacKenzie. "There is just no ambiguity for anyone in any workplace at this point in time that inappropriate touching, touching of a sexual nature, is not OK." In the past, these kinds of cases were often called "low-level harassing behaviours" and the military dealt with it internally including by shuffling people around as a temporary solution, she said. "That doesn't solve the problem," she said. "It moves the problem to a different unit and the alleged victim and the accuser may still have interactions with each other." The CAF has been grappling with sexual misconduct for decades while saying it has a "zero-tolerance policy," she said. MacKenzie said kicking out people for unwanted touching would demonstrate that policy. Supporting victims Retired master corporal Sherry Bordage, who reported being groped by her superior, said it's time for the military to act. "Why allow predators to continue to hide within the ranks? What possible good could that serve?" she said. Bordage reported her platoon commander touched her breast and made inappropriate comments at a mess dinner in 2010 at CFB Borden. In military court, a Canadian Armed Forces judge stayed proceedings for the criminal sexual assault charge against Master Warrant Officer D.J. Prosser, according to the court martial documents. Prosser pleaded guilty to a lesser military service offence for ill treatment of a subordinate, the records show. Military judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent d'Auteuil noted he took into consideration several mitigating factors, including that it was "an isolated incident" and "unusual" for Prosser who had spent 30 years serving in the military at that time, his reason for sentencing said. The military judge gave Prosser a reprimand and a $1,500 fine — and allowed him to continue serving. Bordage said she left the forces in 2014 because she didn't feel safe and faced reprisals from her chain of command for reporting the incident. She says the military should kick out members for unwanted sexual touching to keep others safe. "This decision, had it been implemented during my time, would have been night and day," said Bordage. The CAF has not yet responded to a CBC News request for comment.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- CTV News
Vancouver police officer retires after suspension, demotion for sexual harassment
Keiron McConnell was demoted and suspended without pay for 20 days after admitting that he sent inappropriate sexualized messages to female students and fellow officers. A Vancouver police sergeant, who was demoted and suspended without pay in May after admitting to sexually harassing female students and fellow officers, has retired from the force. Keiron McConnell had served with the Vancouver Police Department for more than three decades, including 18 years as a sergeant, before B.C.'s police complaint commissioner opened an investigation into his conduct last year. 'McConnell has retired and is no longer a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department,' a VPD spokesperson said in an emailed statement Thursday. In May, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner ordered McConnell demoted to constable and suspended for 20 days after he admitted to sending inappropriate sexualized messages to the victims. The OPCC adjudicator also recommended the department adopt a 'standalone' policy and training to eradicate workplace sexual harassment. Retired judge Carol Baird Ellan also ordered McConnell to undertake counselling and training on proper workplace boundaries with women. Ellan's ruling said the 35-year police veteran 'had issues respecting or recognizing reasonable boundaries.' 'His behaviour capitalized on his superior position, which afforded him access to these younger individuals for whom, with respect, he might not otherwise reasonably be considered age appropriate, or eligible,' the adjudicator said. McConnell admitted to sending unwanted texts and Facebook messages to colleagues and criminology students he taught in B.C. universities between 2015 and 2019. McConnell engaged in 'a pattern of inappropriate behaviour with multiple women,' and claimed to be 'oblivious' of its impact, despite some of his messages indicating he was aware that they crossed boundaries. Read more: Veteran Vancouver police sergeant demoted, suspended for sexual harassment Lawyers from the commissioner's office claimed McConnell's conduct had 'a clear complexion of grooming' and that he was 'either oblivious to social boundaries, or contemptuous of them.' The allegations against McConnell first came to light in December 2021, when a photo of the sergeant with two senior VPD officers was posted on social media. The OPCC said the photo drew comments calling McConnell a 'sexual predator' with a 'history of sexually assaulting his students' at Royal Roads University. The following month, a Vancouver police colleague went to the department's professional standards section with a series of Facebook messages she had allegedly exchanged with the sergeant, which she felt were sexually inappropriate, according to the commissioner's notice announcing the hearing in June 2024. Ellan said the Vancouver Police Department should work with experts to develop training and a policy on sexual harassment, and ensure complainants are protected from 'negative consequences' for speaking out. 'We must seek to address any officer behaviour that causes victims not to come forward due to fear of intimidation and retaliation,' he said. With files from The Canadian Press
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Sexual harassment widespread at work
A woman who was sexually harassed as a teenager in her supermarket job said management dismissed it as "harmless" Stevens said a male colleague's unwanted touching made her feel "really uncomfortable" as "we weren't friends."A recent Censuswide survey found almost half of workers in Wales interviewed have experienced sexual harassment at a union representative for the independent trade union for transport and travel industries TSSA, Ms Stevens, stressed the need for better education to help people understand that even so-called "jokes" can cause harm. Commissioned by TUC Cymru, the body for trade unions in Wales, the survey gathered responses from 2,000 employees across the country. It found that 43% of men and 48% of women had experienced sexual harassment in the highest rate was recorded in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, where 66% of respondents reported those who had experienced harassment, around half did not report in ten said this was because they did not trust their employer to believe them. Ms Stevens said the man would often put his arm around her "when there just wasn't any need to.""I asked him to stop, and he did for a while - but then he'd start again," she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast."I kept asking, but he kept crossing the boundary."Although she reported his behaviour to management, she said they "just didn't particularly care", dismissing it as the man "just being friendly".Regardless of his intent, Ms Stevens said it made her feel uncomfortable and "really unsupported"."He crossed my boundaries, and I just felt really uncared for," she Stevens eventually changed departments to "just to get myself out of the situation at the time". "You're so young, you're naïve," she said."You feel embarrassed, you don't really want to stand up for yourself and call people out on it because you don't want to make a fuss." Under the Worker Protection Act, employers must discipline or hold accountable those who are found guilty of sexual law, which was introduced in October 2024, covers harassment on social media as well as that by customers, clients, service users, or members of the also includes conduct in any event or situation related to work such as a Christmas party, client event, or messaging between the survey respondents, one in 10 said their workplace either had no formal sexual harassment policy or they were not informed of a policy in place. Ms Stevens, who is trained in the issue, said her own experiences have made her "even more passionate about ensuring everyone is safe at work at all times".She explained that many people do not realise their behaviour is inappropriate, but once it's pointed out, most stop - but she said repeated behaviour should be addressed more Stevens emphasised the importance of education and urged anyone affected to speak to their union rep, saying: "We're here, we will listen, and we will act." To raise awareness around support available to workers from unions around sexual harassment in the workplace, TUC Cymru has launched a campaign, called We'll Support organisation has also published a handbook to give union reps the information and resources they need to prevent sexual harassment in the Taj from TUC Cymru said "everyone deserves to feel safe at work" and that workplace sexual harassment "has to stop".She said the new campaign will empower union reps to be a "visible ally" for workers, hold employers accountable under the new Worker Protection Act, and "ultimately help reduce harassment in workplaces in Wales". What is sexual harassment? According to Wesh Women's Aid, sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that may cause offense, distress, will intimidate or humiliate a examples are: making sexually degrading comments or gesturesbeing stared or leered atunwanted or inappropriate sexual jokes or propositionse-mails, social media or text messages with sexual contentunwelcome sexual advances and touching, forms of sexual assaultdisplaying sexually explicit pictures in a shared space, such as at work
