Fortescue has terminated a senior executive's contract after an investigation by law firm MinterEllison found the person's conduct breached company policy and values, ABC News reported. A board sub-committee overseeing the matter ended the contract.
The investigation was launched in July after complaints from one of the executive's colleagues. Gus Pichot, Fortescue's head of growth and energy, defended in August the company's choice not to suspend the executive during the investigation, stating he was confident proper process was being followed. Pichot added at the same time that external legal and governance advice had been sought extensively before the decision was reached.
A Fortescue spokeswoman stated that sexual harassment, bullying and conduct making people feel unsafe are not acceptable at the company, and that standards set by its values apply to all staff regardless of seniority or role. Andrew Forrest emailed staff after a class action was filed, stating that anyone treating such conduct as acceptable does not belong at Fortescue, and that termination is only the beginning of what wrongdoers face. Forrest's email also stated that where criminal behaviour is involved, Fortescue would back its people and look to the law for consequences.
WorkSafe WA reached an agreement with Fortescue in 2023 under which the company committed $1.4 million toward addressing inappropriate workplace behaviour, after allegations that it had withheld documents about dozens of sexual harassment complaints from the regulator.
Reporting: The Nightly, ABC News, Yahoo Finance
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
