A landmark external review of EY Oceania has revealed serious workplace issues, including overwork, bullying, harassment, and a lack of safety and inclusion for women and minority groups. The review, led by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, was conducted in response to concerns about the firm's culture following the tragic suicide of an employee and involved a survey of over 4000 employees.
The report exposed rampant overwork, as almost half of the staff reported health issues stemming from long work hours, with 11% regularly working over 61 hours per week. Notably, 40% of staff had considered quitting because of the hours.
EY personnel also reported widespread bullying (experienced by 15% of staff over the past five years), sexual harassment (10%), and racism (8%). Some employees feel that reporting such behaviors is discouraged or futile, especially when perpetrated by those in leadership positions.
"[P]articipants spoke of these behaviours occurring from the top down," the report reads, "where instances of bullying by Partners and more senior staff was accepted, particularly in circumstances where it is perceived as leading to higher rates of productivity within the team."
The review team made 27 recommendations to improve the workplace, including more accurate project scoping and costing to reduce excessive hours, increasing accountability for staff retention, and revising key performance metrics to emphasize diversity and inclusion.
Earlier this year, Starling Insights published "The Era of Accountability," a Deeper Dive report discussing a global trend of employees in every industry holding their employer accountable for conduct that does not align with their own values. In a Preamble therein, Jamie Fiore Higgins, author of Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs, offers a harrowing recounting of the pressures and outright abuses she suffered during a long career at Goldman Sachs.
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