A sign company and its director have been fined for extensive bullying. 

Printco (Aust) Pty Ltd and director Neil Pearson have been sentenced in the Moorabbin Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to a single charge each under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The company was convicted and fined $20,000 for failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work, while Pearson was convicted and fined $20,000 for failing to take reasonable care as an officer of the company.

Pearson and Printco were also ordered to pay combined costs of $9,309.

The court heard the sub-contractor suffered verbal abuse, intimidation and threats by Pearson over a period of four years.

The bullying culminated in a phone call in August 2021, recorded by the sub-contractor, during which Pearson yelled, swore and abused them after they questioned the legality of working during a COVID-19 lockdown.

The sub-contractor described feeling anxious and worn down by the abuse and developed a mental injury that left them unable to work.

WorkSafe inspectors visited the workplace and found that the sub-contractor was one of a number of workers who had been subject to Pearson's inappropriate behaviour.

While the company had policies and procedures in place to address workplace bullying, they were found to be inadequate as they did not provide information about how to report inappropriate workplace behaviour; did not provide definitions or examples of bullying; and workers had not been provided any training.

The court found it was reasonably practicable for Printco and Pearson to have provided and maintained a safe system of work for identifying, reporting, investigating and stopping inappropriate workplace behaviour, including workplace bullying.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said no one deserved to be bullied, abused and intimidated at work.

“WorkSafe will simply not tolerate this sort of abhorrent behaviour in any Victorian workplace, particularly when it is perpetrated by those in positions of power,” Dr Beer said.

“I hope this case can prompt other employers to reassess their own practices and ensure they themselves are setting clear standards for appropriate workplace behaviours.”