Country Road responds to allegations of sexual harassment and bullying
The Country Road Group says it is in the final stages of an independent review following allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.
Earlier this week, The Australian reported that two executives have left the retailer and the chief executive of its parent company Woolworths Holdings, Roy Bagattini, flew from South Africa to Australia to address staff after complaints in the Melbourne office.
An email sent from Country Road’s HR to staff reportedly mentioned allegations of sexual harassment, while external consultants were also brought in to investigate allegations of “unwanted touching of female staff, bullying and racism”.
A Country Road spokesperson responded to the reports in a statement given to Mumbrella.
“The Country Road Group (CRG) takes any complaint of harassment, including sexual harassment, very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for matters of this nature,” the statement reads.
“Having received feedback from some team members regarding the handling of their complaints, our parent company Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) has taken prompt action, including the commissioning of an independent investigation to look into this matter.
“This independent review is currently in its final stages, the outcomes of which are expected to be shared with CRG team members in June. It is critically important to us that our workplace is one where all team members feel safe, valued and included.
“We sincerely thank team members for speaking up and raising their concerns. In the interim, we strongly encourage all parties to avoid speculation on outcomes prior to the completion of the independent investigation.”
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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