The ABC has a cultural problem, according to the father of an ABC producer who just won a seven-year legal battle to have her bullying claim recognised by the government insurer.
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Phil Martin, who was formerly a news and current affairs boss for the public broadcaster across Victoria and South Australia, has spoken out about the experience endured by his daughter Peta Martin.
Ms Martin made a claim in 2012 for psychological injury due to alleged bullying she experienced as a producer at the ABC's Renmark South Australia office. The claim was only accepted this month after Comcare challenged it through the legal system, going all the way to the High Court and back to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Federal Court.
"The system is broke," Mr Martin said.
"I cannot imagine that this system was designed to frustrate, to delay, to incur so much expense, when really it ought to be about ensuring ordinary people are placed back in the workplace as quickly as possible when there's an adverse event, such as happened to Peta."
Mr Martin believes he was brushed off by the top level of the ABC when he wrote to the board and the then managing director Mark Scott in 2016 without the knowledge of his daughter, asking that the case be resolved.
"I wrote to the ABC years ago explaining the circumstances and asking them to intervene with their insurer and I received nothing more than a polite go away," Mr Martin said.
The legal process shouldn't have been dragged out, the former newsman said, and the culture should move away from judicial reactions to trying to get people back to work.
"Any organisation ought to be prepared to deal with complex human resource issues in a manner that aims to resolve those issues first and foremost before simply resorting to a threatened judicial response and a consequential judicial action," he said.
An ABC spokeswoman responded to Mr Martin's claim, saying his letter was responded to in February 2016 by the then ABC chairman.
The broadcaster said the continuation of the legal process was a matter for Comcare, not the ABC.
"The liability issues that have been considered over the years since 2012 have been between Ms Martin, her legal representatives and Comcare, which is the responsible authority in respect of Ms Martin’s claim. The ABC was not a party to the process of determining liability or making any decisions in relation to this claim," the spokeswoman said.
It was also emphasised that the ABC did not have a cultural problem.
"The ABC does not tolerate bullying or harassment in our workforce, and employees are strongly encouraged to raise any issues of this nature," she said.
