‘We did not meet our own expectations’: Country Road CEO speaks after ‘crisis town hall’ on sexual harassment claims
The Country Road Group has issued a statement following the completion of an independent review regarding allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.
Last week it was revealed that two executives had left the retailer and that the chief executive of its parent company Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL), Roy Bagattini, flew from South Africa to Australia to address staff after complaints in the Melbourne office.
Woolworths Holdings has no relation to the Woolworths chain of supermarkets operating in Australia.
Further to this, The Australian reported that Bagattini fronted a “crisis town hall” this week where he was “openly and loudly jeered by staff” where he reportedly accused HR for “failing the system”.
However on Thursday, a WHL spokesperson told Mumbrella that Country Road will be taking on a number of initiatives to enforce change, including a review of its complaint handling and reporting process, the launch of a “refreshed” sexual harassment training program and the commissioning of an independent review of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct policies and processes.
“I am deeply disappointed that some team members did not feel fully supported when raising complaints about inappropriate behaviour,” Bagattini said in a statement given to Mumbrella.
“It is clear that we did not meet our own expectations, let alone those of our employees. We have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour in our organisation, and are fully committed to taking any actions needed to ensure an environment where all our team members feel safe, valued and included.”
The WHL spokesperson also told Mumbrella the group is giving all staff the opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions, while Bagattini will also conduct in-person sessions in a bid to encourage open engagement.
“While this has been challenging, we are confident that we have outlined a clear path towards strengthening our processes and culture,” the spokesperson said.
“We look forward to working together to achieve this goal and refocusing on our business priorities.”
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
Linkedin
Have your say