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An investigation into the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) has found evidence of bullying, sexism, racism, and homophobia.
Two separate investigations were commissioned following the death of 50-year-old Katrina Hey, who worked as a container controller at LPC for seven years before dying of an alleged suicide on December 25, 2019.
An investigation by Christchurch attorney Amy Keir found no evidence to support the allegations of “serious or sustained” harassment and no link between Hey’s death and the actions of his manager.
A broader review by Maria Dew QC investigated LPC’s work culture.
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97 people were interviewed. One said there was an underlying “stream of casual sexism, racism and homophobia”, while another said they were “so devastated” by the bullying that they had to leave.
Seventy-eight people (81 percent of the participants) reported concerns about bullying that ranged from rude and demanding management to abusive and intimidating language.
Of those interviewed, 24 were women. Ten reported sexist behavior at LPC and there was one report of sexual harassment experienced by an employee.
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Katrina Hey died on Christmas Day last year. Her family says her death was related to her experiences at work.
“It’s low-level things, like if they submit to the men in the meeting or they never respond to my inquiries,” said one participant.
Most of the people interviewed identified as New Zealand European (63 out of 97), but 90 per cent of non-European workers interviewed said racism was a problem at the company.
The racist behavior was directed at Maori, Pasifika and Asian staff, and two former employees said they had been “kicked out” due to racism.
“It does not feel safe to raise concerns about racism when senior managers laugh at racist comments,” said one person.
Several participants also revealed matters that were “allegations of possible serious misconduct.”
The investigation was open to all current and former employees, contractors, union representatives, and directors and executives of LPC, employed from January 2017 onwards.
A 23-page report published Wednesday found:
- Lack of diversity in LPC.
- Afraid to speak
- Offensive behavior was normal.
- Barriers between “them and us”.
- Lack of progression and professional training.
“The lack of ethnic and gender diversity in the LPC workforce is likely at the heart of significant pockets of poor culture in LPC,” he said.
The report noted that Kassandra Hey “maintains that workplace harassment at LPC caused or contributed” to her mother’s death.
Dew identified five areas for improvement and made 32 recommendations.
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Roger Gray, CEO of Lyttelton Port, says the results of the investigation are sobering.
These included holding a regular “anti-bullying” event at LPC, updating the bullying and harassment guidelines to “help and improve confidence in reporting,” and reviewing the recruitment and selection process to eliminate “biases and unfair favoritism “.
LPC CEO Roger Gray said the findings were “sobering” and provided “a clear direction for change.”
“Our business is full of good people who do hard work to support our local community and economy.
“We need to focus on making sure they are doing well and that this is a place where they feel respected and valued,” he said.
The research found good leadership communication in LPC, support from teammates, and staff who enjoyed the varied nature of work.
