Rio Tinto Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Class Action Investigation
Shine Lawyers has launched a class action investigation on behalf of individuals employed by, or contractors of, Rio Tinto Limited (Rio Tinto) and/or its related subsidiaries, who may have been subjected to sexual discrimination or sexual harassment at work.
What is the Rio Tinto Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Class Action Investigation about?
This investigation follows the publication of an independent review titled ‘Report into Workplace Culture at Rio Tinto’ (Report) conducted by Elizabeth Broderick & Co, published on 1 February 2022. You can view the report here.
A key finding in the Report was that “…the majority [of female employees] described their experiences of everyday sexism which took a toll on their self-esteem, personal relationships and general health, as well as their capacity to progress in the organisation.”
Shine’s investigation aims to determine:
whether Rio Tinto and/or its related subsidiaries failed to take adequate steps to eliminate discrimination and sexual harassment as far as possible in its workplaces; and, if so,
the loss and damage suffered by employees subjected to sexual harassment, discrimination, or anti-social workplace behaviours as a result of the systems failure.
Can I join the Rio Tinto Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Class Investigation Action?
If you have worked for Rio Tinto or any of its related subsidiaries, or worked on a mine site wholly or partly owned by Rio Tinto on a casual, part-time or full-time basis, and experienced sexual discrimination or sexual harassment at work (regardless of your gender) at any point in time, you are encouraged to register for this investigation.
If you are unsure if you have worked for Rio Tinto or one of its related subsidiaries, please call us on 1800 961 050 for a confidential discussion.
How to register for the Rio Tinto Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Class Action Investigation
To register on a confidential, no-cost, no-obligation basis, please click the button below and complete the online registration form. Please rest assured that your contact details will remain private.
If you are unsure as to whether or not you can register for the class action investigation, please call us on 1800 961 050 for a confidential discussion.
The registration form will load in a new window; please ensure pop-ups are not blocked. The form will request information in respect of your employment history and experience of sexual harassment and/ or sexual discrimination at work. During completion of the registration form, you will have the opportunity to save and close your form so that you can return and complete it at a later date.
A Helpful Guide to Class Actions
In this user-friendly guide, we’ll explain what a class action is, and what you can expect throughout the process – from signing up all the way through to case resolution.
Meet the Rio Tinto Sexual Discrimination & Harassment Class Action team
Shine Lawyers’ Rio Tinto Class Action team has been carefully selected to represent the rights of workers subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination, and includes the firm’s most experienced litigators, solicitors and support staff.
You can learn more about the team running this class action by clicking on their profile below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sexual harassment and sexual discrimination?
Sexual harassment: Under Australian law, sexual harassment is behaviour that would make a reasonable person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. An alleged harasser’s intention behind their behaviour is irrelevant. Sexual harassment can be an unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual acts or conduct of a sexual nature. It may be a one-off incident, and does not have to be obvious, repeated or continuous behaviour.
Sexual discrimination: Is the act of discriminating against a person because of their sex, intersex status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities, because they are pregnant or might become pregnant, or because they are breastfeeding. Examples of sexual discrimination could include:
not hiring a woman because the hiring manager thinks they won’t fit into a male dominated workplace;
not paying a woman the same salary as a man for doing the exact same work, or not providing a woman with the same opportunities for training, mentoring or promotion as a man; or
allocating work tasks based on a person’s sex or gender identity.
Sexual discrimination can be both direct and indirect. It can also happen when employers put in place conditions, requirements or practices which appear to treat everyone equally, but end up disadvantaging some people based on their sex, marital or relationship status.
What can I do if I’m being sexually harassed at work?
If you are experiencing sexual harassment and the situation has become abusive or violent, please call 000 or the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence National Help Line: 1800 Respect (1800 737 732). If you are a survivor of childhood abuse or trauma, the Blue Knot Foundation provides support on 1300 657 380.
Will Rio Tinto find out if I have registered for the class action?
No. You have no obligation to tell Rio Tinto or its related subsidiaries that you have registered for this investigation. We wish to assure you that any information shared with Shine Lawyers will remain strictly private and confidential. To understand more, call us on 1800 961 050 for a confidential discussion.
I'm not an Australian citizen, am I still eligible to register for the investigation?
Yes. Even though you are not an Australian citizen, if you were employed by Rio Tinto or any of its subsidiaries and experienced sexual discrimination or harassment on an Australian site owned by Rio Tinto or any of its subsidiaries we encourage you to register for the class action investigation.
What is a class action?
When Governments, large companies or institutions do the wrong thing and people are harmed or suffer loss as a result, an individual can have little to no means of bringing a legal claim.
Class actions are an important mechanism within Australia’s legal system that allow large groups of people to come together to pursue a claim collectively.
For a class action to take place, there are three criteria that need to be met:
There must be 7 or more people that have claims against the same defendant; and
The claims relate to the same or similar circumstances; and
The claim must relate to at least one common issue of law or fact.
For more information about how class actions resolve, click here.
What are the benefits of joining a class action?
The benefits of class actions include:
There are no out-of-pocket expenses;
They minimise the administrative and emotional burden involved in a regular legal case; and
They enable greater access to justice.
Are there time limits?
Time limits typically apply in class actions. If you think that you might be eligible to participate in this class action, we recommend that you register as soon as possible.
How long do class actions take to resolve?
It can take up to several years for a class action to resolve. The time taken from case commencement through to resolution and settlement administration depends on the particular case, and the nature of the claim.
For more information about class actions and how they work, click here.
Does it cost anything to join a class action?
Shine Lawyers is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation, has access to justice. We run our class actions in a way that means you are not exposed to any costs or financial risk, so joining a class action will cost you nothing.
When a class action is successful, the legal fees and costs to run the class action are deducted from the settlement amount that is approved by the Court. If the class action is unsuccessful, we will ensure there are no out-of-pocket costs to you.
Will my contact details be kept private?
Yes, your contact details will remain confidential and we will seek your consent before disclosing any of your personal information (including before such disclosure is required by the Court).
Shine Lawyers will only use your personal information strictly for the purpose of the legal proceedings.
