Sexual harassment

South Flank
Sexual harassment is completely unacceptable at BHP. The right to work in a healthy, safe, respectful and inclusive environment free from harassment, sexual harassment, and other disrespectful behaviours is enshrined in Our Code. Our Code applies to all workers at a BHP site or work location. Our focus is on preventing sexual harassment by addressing contributing factors while strengthening our ability to respond to incidents and intervene early with a person-centred approach. We consider impacted persons at the centre of our response and seek to ensure they are supported and empowered. More broadly, we continue to build awareness and capability in psychosocial hazard identification and risk management into our ways of working. We expect our employees and contractors to identify and call out disrespectful behaviours, including bullying, racism and sexual harassment.

Our approach to prevent sexual harassment 

At BHP, sexual harassment remains a key health and safety focus area. Sexual harassment is managed as part of BHP's broader psychosocial risk framework, recognising that factors such as workplace culture, leadership behaviours, work design and power dynamics can influence the risk of harm. This focuses on identifying psychosocial hazards, assessing associated risks, and implementing controls to eliminate or minimise harm. Psychosocial risks are managed through a combination of enterprise-level critical controls, local risk management activities, leadership accountability and governance and assurance processes. Where concerns are raised, a trauma-informed, person-centred response is applied to ensure individuals are treated with dignity, respect and supported appropriately. BHP recognises that effective psychosocial risk management is an ongoing process and continues to strengthen integration across organisational systems, leadership practices and workplace mental health and wellbeing initiatives.   

Respect Hub is available through BHP’s Digital Workspace and provides a central source of information on respectful behaviours, expected standards of conduct, reporting options and support pathways. Respect Chat, integrated within Respect Hub, is an informational digital tool that provides confidential guidance through automated responses to frequently asked questions. It is maintained under the guidance of Ethics & Investigations and does not collect personal or identifiable information. 

Reports of sexual harassment 

Information on reports of sexual harassment is available in the BHP ESG Standards and Databook and the BHP Annual Report 2026. 

Leadership 

In our efforts to prevent sexual harassment at BHP, a key focus is on leaders being visibly committed to safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces through setting clear expectations and role modelling respectful behaviours.  

Building Safe and Respectful Workplaces and Our Code training is provided to BHP line leaders, aimed at building capability, setting clear standards of conduct, supporting leaders to respond appropriately and drive consistent and fair disciplinary outcomes.  

Risk management   

Psychosocial harm risk assessments identify scenarios in which psychosocial hazards like sexual, racial or gendered harassment may arise, their potential causes and the controls we can implement to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm as far as reasonably practicable.  

Some of our embedded psychosocial risk preventative and mitigating controls include: 

  • mandatory training in Our Code of Conduct for employees and contractors, with a focus on enacting and maintaining respectful behaviours  
  • setting clear cultural expectations and leadership responsibilities   
  • enhanced security at accommodation villages  
  • alcohol management policies   
  • data transparency and action  
  • person-centred response and support  
  • accessible and confidential reporting options and investigations, including multiple resolution options  
  • appropriate and proportionate disciplinary action  

BHP workers whose roles involve case management, investigations or exposure to traumatic events, and include the risk of vicarious trauma, receive trauma-informed and person-centred training to maintain their understanding of Person-Centred Response and Support (PCRS) principles and their application in practice. 

During FY2025, we moved to a new global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, Converge International. Converge International provides a dedicated panel of psychologists who are trained in trauma-informed practices, each with more than five years of experience working with individuals impacted by sexual harassment.  

Culture 

We are committed to fostering a positive culture that is safe, respectful and inclusive for all employees and contractors, and supports gender equality and diversity at all levels and across all areas.  

BHP expects suppliers and contractors in our ecosystem to have shared values around preventing sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination in our industry and communities. Contractors working at BHP sites and locations are expected to comply with Our Code of Conduct and have access to Integrity@BHP, Ethics Support Service and other related care and medical/psychological treatment pathways. Contractors are also included in many aspects of BHP’s way of working, including routines such as toolbox talks and safety shares, perception surveys and required training. 

We are committed to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors. Gender equality, diversity and gender balance are important contributors to a workplace free from sexual harassment. More information is provided on the People webpage. 

Knowledge of sexual harassment prevention and response 

BHP continues to strengthen a sustained program of work designed to increase the capability of our workforce to identify and call out disrespectful behaviour, including sexual harassment, racism and bullying which is part of our psychosocial risk management approach. 

Responsibility for managing psychosocial risk (including sexual harassment and racial harassment) is shared within BHP. The Group Health team is accountable for: 

  • providing strategic direction for health 
  • performing second-line assurance of BHP’s performance against this risk 
  • engaging with industry to share and learn best practice 
  • supporting and building capability within our operated assets and global functions to standardise, where possible, and progress improvements to control psychosocial risk 

Support and reporting 

BHP prioritises the wellbeing, psychological safety and the needs of people affected by sexual harassment, unlawful sex-based discrimination and victimisation. Our global Ethics Support Service provides dedicated, end-to-end case coordination for anyone impacted by sexual harassment, which is designed to assist with appropriate support and information. The Ethics Support Service can also provide resolution options when an investigation is not preferred by the impacted person or cannot proceed. 

We encourage our workforce to report any concerns relating to disrespectful behaviours. We provide centralised and confidential reporting tools and mandatory reporting requirements for line leaders who are informed of certain concerns. We do not tolerate any form of retaliation for raising a concern. We do not use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or use confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements that would restrict complainants from sharing their experiences relating to sexual harassment.  

Reports of sexual harassment and racial harassment are investigated by our specialised Ethics and Investigations team, which is a business unit independent of our operations. This team includes personnel trained in responding with a trauma-informed and person-centred approach. 

Measuring 

Senior leadership and the Risk and Audit Committee of the Board receive reports with de-identified data on the number of complaints, nature of complaints, investigations and other resolution pathways, outcomes and timelines. 

We also remain committed to working with others in the industry and beyond to address sexual harassment risks. BHP is a member of the Minerals Council of Australia’s Safe, Healthy and Respectful Workplaces Committee and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia’s Psychosocial Safety Working Group. Both groups aim to build industry capability and capacity through sharing knowledge and developing shared resources.