BHP discloses 113 sexual harassment cases and 109 job losses in annual report
Annual figures reveal 109 employees lost their jobs or resigned following confirmed reports of sexual harassment, while 104 allegations were not investigated due to insufficient information or the wishes of those affected.
Mining giant BHP has disclosed 113 confirmed cases of sexual harassment among its workforce during the 2025-26 financial year, a figure representing the highest number of confirmed reports since 2023. The incidents, which included indecent touching, stalking, and grooming, resulted in 109 employees losing their jobs or resigning.
A further 104 allegations were not investigated due to insufficient information or the wishes of the impacted persons. BHP stated that allegations are investigated by an ethics team independent from operations, though a spokesperson could not immediately clarify where the majority of the cases occurred.
The majority of confirmed instances involved indecent touching, stalking, grooming, and sexually aggressive comments and jokes. The report highlights ongoing scrutiny of remote work sites, where female workers across the industry have raised allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation.
Past parliamentary inquiries and reports by the office of the sex discrimination commissioner have identified cultures of sexual assault, sexism, bullying, and racism across the mining industry, particularly at remote projects where workers stay for weeks at a time.
Three separate class actions are currently in court against BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue, alleging widespread sexual harassment, sexual violence, and sex discrimination at work sites. The class actions, filed by law firm JGA Saddler, allege that “most women, if not all” working on remote sites have suffered some form of sexual harassment or sex discrimination.
BHP also disclosed that 22 people responsible for racial harassment had their employment terminated or resigned in the same financial year. The mining giant has large iron ore and copper operations in Australia, and North and South America.
The disclosure comes amidst heightened scrutiny of workplace cultures within the sector. The annual report provides further detail on the scale of misconduct within the company’s workforce, adding to the pressure on major miners to address systemic issues identified by regulators and plaintiffs.
