Fortescue (ASX:FMG) has fired one of its senior executives following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.
The investigation found that conduct by the executive breached company policies, according to a spokesperson from Fortescue. The company has not named the executive or provided any additional details of the findings of the investigation.
According to the company’s statement released on the matter, Fortescue is working to ensure that all employees feel safe within the company and that all forms of sexual harassment, bullying, or other negative behaviour is taken seriously.
“The investigation found conduct that breached Fortescue’s policies, as well as our values. The board sub-committee overseeing the matter therefore ceased the individual’s contract,” the statement says.
The company first began looking into the allegations in August 2026, as the matter was first reported by the Australian Financial Review. The individual in question was initially suspended later that month.
In June 2026, female workers at Fortescue filed a class-action lawsuit over allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation at some of the company’s more remote sites.
The allegations in that case ranged from serious sexual assaults through to “day-to-day micro aggressions”, according to The Guardian.
Fortescue has a number of iron ore mines in remote parts of Western Australia, meaning that it has a large fly-in, fly-out workforce who need to stay on-site for extended periods of time.
Fortescue is not the only major miner to receive such allegations. In August 2026, a report noted that BHP Group (ASX:BHP) has identified a number of harassment cases, disclosed in its annual report, also highlighting the issue of incidents in more remote sites.
BHP disclosed that 109 workers were either removed or resigned from their roles in 2025–2026 following 113 confirmed reports of sexual harassment. An additional 104 reports were not investigated due to insufficient information.
Fortescue’s latest case underscores the challenge facing the mining industry and the need to build workplace cultures that protect employees, especially those working on more remote sites with little traditional support networks. Strong enforcement, accountability, and reporting mechanisms are key to preventing harassment and building trust across the sector.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: Fortescue
