ensuring a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace
our commitment to addressing bullying, harassment and discrimination
Putting our people first and ensuring a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace is critical to our success as individuals and as an organisation.
In accordance with the Chevron Way, our goal is to have an inclusive work environment that values the uniqueness and diversity of individual talents, experiences and ideas.
Our expectations about workplace behaviour are made clear in our Business Conduct and Ethics Code and company policies. We require everyone in our workplaces to treat their colleagues with respect.
We’re committed to listening, learning and identifying practical steps we can take to reduce the prevalence of inappropriate and harmful behaviours through ensuring:
- our workplaces value diversity and provide a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for all to fully participate.
- appropriate policies, procedures and practical measures are in place and effective to prevent bullying, harassment in any form, and discrimination.
- any instance of bullying, harassment or discrimination can be reported and addressed
- individual safety and procedural fairness are at the forefront of any investigation or action taken.
Having honest conversations about bullying, harassment and discrimination can be difficult, but it is the first step towards changing workplaces for the better.
chevron australia's
workplace review
Workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination, and the under-reporting of these behaviours remains a significant issue across many industries in Australia.
In late 2021, Chevron Australia sought the assistance of an external consultancy, Intersection, to help us understand the prevalence of inappropriate or harmful behaviours in upstream workplaces in Perth and the Pilbara.
Beginning in April 2022, Intersection confidentially gathered feedback and experiences from across our workforce including through focus groups, interviews and written submissions, and an online survey which received about 570 responses.
Chevron Australia’s policies, procedures, training materials, diversity programs and demographic data were also examined.
timeline
July 2021
- WA Parliamentary Inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry commences
August 2021
- Chevron Australia makes written submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry
- Chevron Australia launches Upstander training program
November 2021
- Chevron Australia hosts Parliamentary Inquiry visit at Wheatstone natural gas facility
- Chevron Australia representatives appear in a hearing for the Parliamentary Inquiry
December 2021
- Intersection engaged by Chevron Australia to conduct an independent workplace review
April 2022
- Intersection commences engagements with the workforce.
May 2022
- Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and member companies announce industry alcohol guidelines
June 2022
- Final report of Parliamentary Inquiry released
September 2022
- WA Government officially responds to the Parliamentary Inquiry's Report
November 2022
- Intersection report released
Ongoing
- Implementation of recommendations
key findings
Based on the survey results, Intersection found at Chevron Australia workplaces in Perth and the Pilbara:
- Bullying is the most prevalent inappropriate behaviour, with 47 per cent of employees experiencing bullying in the past five years. Belittling or humiliating conduct, repeated undermining of work, and sustained unjustified criticism of work were the top three bullying behaviours experienced by employees.
- Sexual harassment – including sexually suggestive comments or jokes and intrusive questions about someone’s private life or appearance – is the second most prevalent behaviour with 30 per cent of employees experiencing sexual harassment in the last five years.
- Other forms of harassment , such as spreading malicious or hurtful rumours, and sexist or racist comments, were experienced by 29 per cent of employees in the last five years.
- The prevalence of discriminatory behaviours was very low (2 per cent), however Intersection’s analysis of available data suggested that the experiences of direct or indirect discrimination may be more common than those reported through the survey.
- While both men and women experience inappropriate behaviours, women reported experiencing these behaviours at higher rates than men.
- Overall, there is a high tolerance for ‘low-level’ behaviour that is often labelled as ‘joking’ or ‘banter’, rather than reported as inappropriate workplace behaviours.
- Only a quarter of employees who had experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination and 10 per cent of employees who had experienced sexual harassment indicated they had reported the most recent incident they experienced.
key recommendations
The report makes 24 recommendations across four key focus areas:
- Addressing the prevalence of any form of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
- Uplifting leadership accountability.
- Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Improving the response to reports of inappropriate behaviours.
Detailed findings and recommendations can be found in the Full Report and the Executive Summary.
our response
It is clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination occur in our workplaces, and not everyone feels confident in reporting these incidents through the various channels available.
We accept Intersection's report and are determined to take meaningful action across the four key focus areas of the recommendations.
We have started the important work needed to address the prevalence of inappropriate behaviours in our workplaces, and we have fully engaged with our workforce so that everyone at Chevron Australia understands the report’s findings, recommendations and next steps.
The Chevron Australia leadership is committed to building upon the solid foundations within the organisation to effect real change so our workplaces are safe, respectful and inclusive for everyone.
our actions to date
definitions
Chevron Australia means Chevron Australia Pty Ltd. The workplace review conducted by Intersection considered Chevron Australia’s upstream workplaces only and did not include workplaces related to the Chevron Australia Downstream business or Puma or Caltex brands
Discriminatory behaviours: Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated unfavourably because of a personal characteristic such as age, sex, gender identity, race or disability. Indirect discrimination occurs when a requirement that appears to be neutral and the same for everyone in fact has the effect of disadvantaging someone with a personal characteristic protected by law, such as age, sex, gender identity, race or disability.
Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours that are offensive in nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that is demeaning, humiliating or embarrassing to someone.
Bullying: repeatedly unreasonable behaviour by an individual or a group of individuals towards another individual, where the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety. Examples of bullying include behaving aggressively towards others, teasing or playing practical jokes, pressuring someone to behave inappropriately, excluding someone from work-related events, repeated unjustified criticism of someone’s work and making unreasonable work demands.
Sexual harassment: an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which, in the circumstances, a reasonable person, aware of those circumstances, would anticipate the possibility that the person would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. Behaviours that can constitute sexual harassment are varied and can often get labelled as “joking” or “banter”. Examples of sexually harassing behaviour include unwelcome touching, staring or leering, suggestive comments or jokes, sexually explicit pictures or posters, unwanted invitations to go out on dates, requests for sex, intrusive questions about a person's private life or body, unnecessary familiarity (such as deliberately brushing up against a person), insults or taunts based on sex, sexually explicit physical contact, and sexually explicit emails or SMS text messages.