Environment Protection Authority: Culture of bullying, says report

 From SMH

The NSW Environment Protection Authority is riddled with workplace bullying, according to a public sector report that also finds most complaints are going unreported either by the victims or witnesses.

One staff member, who has complained of intimidation and physical violence by an EPA supervisor, has alleged there is a culture of bullying at the environmental watchdog.

The complaint of physical violence was revealed in freedom of information documents obtained by Fairfax Media.  The State of the NSW Public Sector Report - People Matter Survey had a 69 per cent participation rate from EPA staff.

Of those staff, almost a third said they had witnessed bullying at work in the past 12 months. Six per cent of those reported they were ''currently experiencing this behavior'', according to the report.

Separate documents obtained by Fairfax Media show that, in the past 12 months, only three complaints of bullying had been made against managers in the EPA.

The documents showed that, in October last year, there was an email complaint about how a manager continuously discriminated against, intimidated, bullied and victimized a staff member. But after the matter was investigated, it was found there was ''no evidence'' to support the allegation.

A separate formal grievance complaint made last November addressed a number of issues, including ''repetitive bullying''. It was investigated but treated as a respectable workplace policy issue.

In a December case, a staff member claimed ''intimidation and physical violence'' and a ''culture of bullying'' at the EPA. But the documents said investigations showed ''there was no evidence to support the allegations'' and it was a ''he said-she said'' scenario.

The EPA chairman Barry Buffier said the organization had developed and promoted information for staff to identify what bullying was, what to do if bullying occurred, and the roles and responsibilities for all staff concerned.

The revelations about the culture at the EPA came after reports that workplace bullying had also reached extreme levels in the NSW health system, despite government programs, including an anti-bullying hotline, to stamp out the practice.

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Images @ Eminpee Fotography