Former employees accuse former manager of sexual harassment
BDO New Zealand has expressed a willingness to carry out investigations after former employees of Wellington Combined Taxis came forward with allegations that they suffered sexual harassment from a former manager.
The company has been handling external matters for the taxi service since it entered voluntary administration in September, Stuff reported.
In a statement to the news outlet, it said it only became aware of "apparently historical behaviour of certain employees" via the media.
"The behaviour now alleged could be serious," it said.
It informed Stuff that they are prepared to invite the affected parties to raise any "specific outstanding issues or complaints directly with them." This would allow them to be "investigated and, as appropriate, addressed."
The allegations, which were reported by Stuff, involve claims of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by a manager, referred to in the report as "M."
After reporting the incidents to Wellington Combined Taxis management, former employee Citiva Leyland claimed her complaints were not properly addressed. She then sought legal assistance but was unable to proceed due to financial constraints and was eventually made redundant. Her redundancy followed a restructure that introduced new working hours she could not accommodate due to childcare responsibilities.
Other former employees also spoke to Stuff about the toxic work environment they allege was fostered by "M." One employee claimed that "M" would often ask female staff about their sex lives, while another described how he referred to a shift that targeted young women as the "schoolgirl shift."
Despite these reports, employees said they feared retaliation and often chose not to complain.
"People talked about legal action, mainly women. But I am not sure if anything was ever done. It is difficult to say anything when it is a boss," a former employee told Stuff.
In New Zealand, employees have 12 months to raise a personal grievance related to sexual harassment under The Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Act.
Rachael Chandra, senior associate at Smith and Partners Lawyers, previously told HRD that employers should take allegations seriously and carry out a "full and fair investigation."
"Sexual harassment claims or allegations are very serious and the obligations on the employer stem from the obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act, The Employment Relations Act, and also the Human Rights Act. The minute you get any type of complaint or an allegation from an employee, the duty is to investigate," Chandra previously told HRD.
