A survey of public servants fond 12 percent had experienced harassment or bullying in the last year. (File photo) Photo: 123RF
A former volunteer firefighter who spent a decade fighting for her complaint of sexual harassment to be taken seriously is calling for an independent body for whistleblowers.
The Public Service Commission has released new standards for sexual harassment complaints, following a survey of public servants which found 12 percent of respondents had experienced harassment or bullying in the last year. Of those, 37 percent decided not to report it.
The new rules require agencies to communicate regularly with complainants, provide legal support in some circumstances and set out a ways for complainants to raise concerns outside their organisation.
In May, Fire and Emergency apologised unreservedly to Sarah Hullah for failing to properly investigate a series of complaints over 10 years and a independent report detailed 33 failings in FENZ's handling of her case.
Hullah told Nine to Noon the new standards were progress, but whistleblower protections remained inadequate.
"The new your complaint your rights document is useful in raising awareness of rights. But without an independent whistleblower authority, these changes still leave enforcement up to the individual who has to try and enforce these rights against an organisation that has control of the matter and is typically focused on wearing the whistleblower down," she said.
"In my case I continually pointed to my rights and the law and policy all the way through my case but there was no independent body to actually back me up until I got the Public Service Commission investigation and that took me three years.
"Whistleblowers have to take a big risk when deciding whether to speak."
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the new standards more clearly established the rights of those making complaints.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
"I want it to be a much better and more transparent process for those who have been damaged and whose rights have been infringed. It's inappropriate we have these ongoing repeat performances of the system not listening to the voice of the individual," he said.
"These new standards require of the individual chief executives of each of the agencies I'm responsible for to adhere to these what I'd describe as minimum standards. Those leaders have to create a workplace where people have confidence and trust to speak up, and when they do they are not going to be prejudiced for future roles or any other thing.
Employment lawyer Barbara Buckett said she was doubtful as to whether the new standards were a robust approach to a serious issue.
"People that are raising their hands are displaced, marginalised, and they're ostracized... there's a heck of an emotional and psychological damage and harm that's done to people that go through these rather very complex situations," she said.
"This system is still owned and operated and controlled by the organisation. It will still be seen as a risk to be managed by the organisation."
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