Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) has released an independent review into its workplace culture following allegations of bullying, discrimination, harassment, and nepotism.
The findings of a separate investigation carried out by Christchurch barrister Amy Keir following the death of Katrina Hey have also been released.
Hey, 50, worked as a container controller at LPC for seven years before dying of a suspected suicide on December 25, 2019.
The investigation found “no evidence to support the allegation of serious and sustained bullying, or to link actions by Katrina’s manager or supervisor to her death in 2019”.
However, it did highlight improvements that need to be made around LPC’s capabilities to support employee mental health and wellbeing.
The separate independent review into workplace culture was commissioned by chief executive Roger Gray in May 2020 with the support of the LPC board and led by Auckland senior barrister Maria Dew QC for the period January 2017 to June 2020.
The findings of Keir’s review were shared with Dew for reference in her review.
A total of 97 current and former staff came forward to speak and the review was given full access to engage with staff and contractors and access to policies, procedures and relevant data.
It concluded with 32 recommendations and five focus areas which Lyttelton Port Company says it accepts and will begin implementing. LPC will be releasing an action plan on the recommendations early in the New Year.
Recommendations include specialist training for all LPC staff on appropriate workplace conduct, improving diversity and inclusion in the LPC workforce, improving accountability for poor staff conduct and reducing the ‘them and us’ barriers that exist between teams.
LPC chief executive Roger Gray says the findings of the review are “sobering”.
“Maria has done an excellent job holding a mirror up to our organisation, and this is a strong starting point for us to all work together to continue to change LPC.
“This report gives us clear direction for change. Our business is full of good people doing a hard job to support our local community and economy. We need to focus on making sure they’re okay and that this is a place they feel respected and valued,” Gray says.
Once an action plan is released, the port will begin publicly releasing regular six-monthly updates on progress on the implementation of the recommendations, he says.
“I am determined that we will build a culture where everyone feels respected for their work no matter what their gender or ethnicity. Bullying and harassment have no place at LPC.
“From senior managers to our dedicated workforce, everyone has a part to play in building a new culture at LPC, and I am positive about the direction we are taking. This review is the first step in our transformation,” Gray says.
LPC board chair Margaret Devlin says the board fully supports the implementation of the findings.
“This report is the next step in the process of change and transformation that the board began at LPC nearly two years ago. We strongly support the findings of the independent review and will be working hard to ensure that all of the recommendations are addressed.
“The changes required at Lyttelton Port Company are significant. As a board, we are committed to ensuring our people have the specialists and additional resources required to implement these changes,” Devlin says.
LPC’s four main workforce unions – the Rail and Maritime Union of New Zealand, Maritime Union of New Zealand, New Zealand Merchant Service Guild and Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand – were all fully engaged in the process of the review.
