New report finds one in four employees of Corrections Department experienced sexual harassment
The chief executive of New Zealand's Corrections Department issued an apology on Tuesday after a new workplace review revealed cases of sexual harassment within the organisation.
The review found that one in four employees who took part in the survey experienced sexual harassment from another staff member at Corrections.
Six in 10 respondents who made a complaint also think their case was not appropriately dealt with, according to the report.
"We have a duty to ensure everyone feels safe and is safe at work. Any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable and has no place at Corrections," said Chief Executive Jeremy Lightfoot in a statement.
"To those who've experienced this behaviour within our organisation and to those who have spoken up and been let down – I am incredibly sorry."
The report, which was commissioned late last year, described Corrections' male-dominant workplace culture as an "enabler of sexual harassment."
"This culture lacks understanding of sexual harassment, is tolerant of inappropriate behaviour, and is protective of staff with problematic behaviour," the report read.
"This permissive culture is particularly evident in prison settings, which are shaped by the environment, colonisation, gender, and other historical contexts."
According to the report, sexual harassment occurs in all Corrections facilities, but prison-based employees were more likely to say that they had experienced sexual harassment (37%).
Those who are also more likely to experience sexual harassment include women (30%), Māori employees (27%), employees under 40 years old (63%).
Source: Sexual Harassment Review on the Department of Corrections
Lightfoot said the report makes it clear that the organisation needs to strengthen its sexual harassment systems and processes to support employees.
"We must do better. Corrections employs more than 10,000 staff and every one of them deserves a safe work environment. As an organisation, we must have zero tolerance for any form of sexual harassment, ensure people feel safe and supported to speak up, and ensure accountability for poor and unlawful behaviour," he added.
The department said it accepts all six recommendations outlined in the report, adding that it established a task force to review the recommendations and lead the changes to the company's workplace culture.
It is also implementing several short-term actions, including:
"I want to ensure that our managers are supported to deal effectively with disclosures of sexual harassment, in a transparent and supportive way," Lightfoot said.
"We have updated our guidance for people leaders while work to develop further training for both managers and all staff is underway. It is my expectation that any report of sexual harassment is taken seriously and investigated properly, with empathy."
The review was carried out between March and September 2024, and received responses from 1,895 employees, with a response rate of 19%.
