Three Mining Giants Now Face Sexual Harassment Class Actions – Fortescue Joins BHP and Rio Tinto

Brisbane law firm JGA Saddler has filed a class action against Fortescue in the Federal Court, alleging the company failed for almost two decades to protect thousands of women working at its Australian operations from sexual harassment, sex discrimination and hostile workplace environments. The claim covers conduct between 1 February 2006 and 5 December 2025 and draws on 45 testimonials from current and former employees, including allegations of sexual assault, being followed into accommodation rooms, and retaliation against women who reported misconduct, such as demotion, dismissal and being blacklisted from the industry.

This is the third such class action brought by JGA Saddler against a major Australian mining company, following similar proceedings against BHP and Rio Tinto filed in late 2024, both of which remain before the courts. The 2021 Western Australian government “Enough is Enough” inquiry had already found sexual harassment and assault were widespread within the FIFO mining sector. Fortescue reported 22 sexual harassment cases to WA’s mines safety regulator in the 2025 financial year, a 27% reduction on the prior year, and has invested approximately $300 million in site security infrastructure including deadlocks, swipe-card access and CCTV. Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto described the allegations as “extremely serious” and said the company takes them very seriously, while declining to comment on specific claims ahead of the proceedings.

Report Finds Bullying and Harassment Within NSW Police Force

Further detail has emerged on the independent review into NSW Police Force workplace culture, with more than 5,000 current and former staff, both sworn and unsworn, engaging with the review through interviews, surveys, written submissions and group discussions. The review found bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and a culture in which people felt unable or unwilling to speak up about misconduct had become embedded in organisational practices, rather than being isolated incidents. NSW Police accepted all 29 recommendations, which span the themes of trusted leadership, flexibility, addressing harmful behaviours, support and care.

Federal Government Halts New Contracts With KPMG Until September

The federal Department of Finance has ordered Australian government entities to cease new contract engagements with KPMG until 30 September 2026, in response to the ongoing whistleblower scandal. The suspension covers new contracts and panel arrangements closing between 16 June and 30 September 2026, while existing contracts remain unaffected. The Greens have separately called out the government for remaining engaged with KPMG, citing Parliamentary Library data showing the government holds $653 million worth of 297 active contracts with the firm. KPMG said it welcomes the government’s review and has voluntarily agreed not to bid for new Commonwealth work in the interim.

The leadership exodus at the firm has continued, with Board Chairman Martin Sheppard and two audit partners departing. KPMG Australia has published an Action Plan to “address the integrity issues and strengthen accountability,” including appointing an independent chair and independent board directors with oversight of audit quality, ethics and whistleblower matters, alongside firm-wide training on client confidentiality and updated whistleblower policies. This is a significant case study in what a comprehensive organisational response to a major governance and culture failure can look like in practice.

Court Rejects Sacked Supervisor’s Claim That Bullying Dismissal Was Retaliation

The Federal Circuit and Family Court has dismissed a general protections claim brought by a former plan management supervisor against disability charity Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC). The supervisor was dismissed for serious misconduct in January 2023 after an investigation found he had bullied an employee with a disability on his team. He argued his dismissal was adverse action taken in retaliation for raising thirteen complaints, four inquiries and three periods of personal leave.

The court accepted the employer’s evidence that the decision was made because of the supervisor’s policy breaches and the bullying finding, not because he had complained. Two factors were decisive: the employer’s case was supported by contemporaneous documentation, including the investigation reports, and the supervisor’s own credibility was found wanting, with the judge describing him as “an unreliable historian” prone to “a subjective (and selective) reconstruction of events.” The court also found most of the matters he relied on did not constitute workplace rights in the first place. The case is a strong reminder that well-documented investigation findings can be highly effective evidence in defending against retaliation claims.

Worker Loses Job After Laptop Logs Expose 98-Hour Timesheet Gap

The Fair Work Commission has dismissed an unfair dismissal claim brought by a Leidos Australia systems administrator after the company found a 98-hour and 15-minute gap between his logged timesheet hours and his actual laptop access records, between February and August 2025. Leidos, a defence, IT and biomedical company engaged by Australia’s Department of Defence, was running the project under strict security rules due to its national security sensitivity.

The Commission found the company had not relied on suspicion alone, but on objective data comparing access logs to time entries and upheld the dismissal despite conceding the employer’s response window was too short and one allegation arrived late. The decision confirms that procedural shortcomings do not automatically defeat a dismissal where the underlying evidence of serious misconduct is strong – particularly in high-security or high-trust roles where confidentiality and data integrity are paramount.

Kyle Sandilands and ARN Media Settle Legal Dispute for $12.09 Million

Radio host Kyle Sandilands has settled a Federal Court dispute with ARN Media, the parent company of KIIS FM, following his removal after an on-air incident with co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson on 20 February 2026. ARN will pay Sandilands $12.09 million over three years, resolving all outstanding claims, which originally sought $85 million. The settlement also includes $1.5 million in advertising support for Sandilands’ planned independent media venture, a 19.9% net revenue share for ARN from that venture, and a non-compete restraint preventing Sandilands from working with competing broadcasters until March 2027.

The size and structure of the settlement is a significant reminder of the financial exposure employers can face in high-profile termination disputes, particularly where the circumstances of an on-air or workplace incident are contested and the employee holds significant commercial leverage.

Brisbane Teacher Sues Marist College Ashgrove Over Alleged Culture of Misogyny

A veteran teacher at Marist College Ashgrove in Brisbane is suing the school in the Supreme Court, alleging she suffered a serious psychiatric injury after being surrounded by up to 300 male students during a lunchtime incident, during which she was allegedly pelted with food. Her legal team argues the incident was the result of an institutional culture that allowed disrespectful behaviour towards female staff to go unaddressed over a number of years, with three other female staff members reportedly supporting her account.

The school has stated that some allegations raised are factually incorrect but that all concerns are being taken seriously, and an investigation involving staff and students was launched following the original incident. The case remains before the Brisbane Supreme Court, with document discovery ongoing. The Independent Education Union Queensland and Northern Territory sent a letter to Marist College Ashgrove’s headmaster, Michael Newman, expressing their concerns regarding the students’ actions. In their letter, they asserted that the incident exposed the staff to an unacceptable physical and psychological risk, as they were immediately and imminently exposed to occupational violence.

Domestic Violence Doesn’t Stay at Home: HR Must Act Now

Cilla Robinson, a partner in the employee relations and safety team at Mallesons, says many Australian employers are falling short in supporting employees affected by family and domestic violence, with a wide gap between having a policy and building a genuinely safe system. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows one in four women and one in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15, and Robinson notes that domestic violence often follows victim-survivors into work, creating risks employers cannot treat as a “home issue” under work health and safety laws.

Beyond the National Employment Standards entitlement to 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave, Robinson recommends practical supports including flexible working arrangements, safety planning with building security, payroll confidentiality protections, technology checks on work devices, and manager training. She advises HR to lead with care rather than investigation when domestic violence is suspected but not confirmed and warns against questions that stray into victim-blaming territory, such as asking why someone hasn’t left a relationship. The biggest gap she identifies is not in policy, but in practice: trained managers, clear escalation pathways and a culture where disclosure does not damage a person’s career.