In 2019, MECCA announced a culture review. What happened next?

How the people, claims and responses connect

Explore the reporting, company responses and related events connected with the 2019 workplace-culture controversy.

Accounts reported by journalists

The Sydney Morning Herald named former retail employee Narita Salima and reported her account that managers bullied and ridiculed her, that she raised concerns, and that her employment ended shortly afterwards.^[1] The same article reported anonymous accounts from a former head-office employee and a former makeup artist. These are attributed reports of testimony, not adjudicated facts.

In December 2019, Pedestrian.TV published accounts from two employees under pseudonyms. They questioned whether staff could participate safely and whether the listening process was sufficiently independent. MECCA disputed that characterisation and said all team members had been offered ways to engage with the external culture specialist.^[3]

MECCA's response

Reporting quoted founder Jo Horgan acknowledging that some employees had not experienced the positive workplace the company intended. MECCA said bullying and discrimination had no place in the company and announced additional feedback channels, Respect in the Workplace training, and an independent culture review involving a listening tour.^{[1] [2] [4]}

MECCA also reported that 0.2 per cent of its retail workforce had made a bullying complaint in the preceding two years and disputed allegations of unpaid overtime.^[1] The available public material does not disclose the underlying complaint register, definitions or benchmark methodology needed to independently assess that statistic.

Central accountability question: did the organisation implement, measure and report the changes it announced?

From the Estée Laundry reporting to MECCA's response

In October and November 2019, the Instagram account @esteelaundry published accounts attributed to current and former MECCA workers. Media outlets subsequently reported allegations involving bullying, harassment, discrimination, favouritism, underpayment and workplace culture.

These were reported allegations. They were not findings by a court, tribunal or regulator, and the number of published accounts does not establish that the experiences represented MECCA's workforce.

Inside Retail and 7NEWS reported that MECCA responded by announcing additional reporting options, accelerated Respect in the Workplace training and an independent culture review involving an external specialist and listening process.^{[1] [2] [4]}

The contemporaneous connection is documented: the Estée Laundry reporting and resulting public controversy formed part of the stated context for MECCA's immediate response.

What MECCA said the review involved

Contemporary reporting said an independent HR consultant or external culture specialist had been engaged to review the business and make recommendations.

A listening process was said to have commenced across MECCA's markets. Workers were offered opportunities to provide feedback individually, in groups, by telephone, by email and in person.

The review was initially expected to take approximately two months. In December 2019, MECCA told Pedestrian.TV that the participation period had been extended into January 2020 to allow more workers to participate.^[3]

These reports establish what MECCA announced. They do not independently establish the review's methodology, structural independence, completion or outcome.

Concerns about participation

Pedestrian.TV reported concerns from two pseudonymous workers about access, privacy and confidence in the listening process.^[3]

One worker reportedly said a session was at capacity. Another said she decided not to participate because she feared her identity would not remain private and that she might experience retaliation.

MECCA disputed parts of that characterisation and said all team members had been offered several ways to engage with the external culture specialist.

The public evidence gap

Inside MECCA has not located a publicly released final report, methodology, findings, recommendations, implementation plan or independent follow-up from the culture review.

This does not prove:

• That the review was incomplete
• That no report was delivered
• That it was kept confidential
• That findings were never shared internally
• That no recommendations were implemented
• That no workplace changes occurred

The narrower conclusion is that the available public material does not allow the review's methods, findings, recommendations or implementation to be independently evaluated.

Stopline and the immediate reporting response

Inside Retail and Pedestrian.TV reported that Stopline was introduced as part of MECCA's 2019 response.^{[3] [4]}

Stopline was described as an external and confidential reporting channel available to staff. Respect in the Workplace training was also brought forward.

This establishes that MECCA announced and introduced these measures during the 2019 response. It does not establish:

• Whether Stopline was intended to be temporary or permanent
• How workers experienced the channel
• How reports were assessed or resolved
• Whether people experienced detrimental treatment
• Whether the system operated consistently across workplaces

The later Whistleblower Policy record

MECCA's public Whistleblower Policy page identifies February 2022 as the policy's last amendment date.

This establishes an amendment date. It does not establish when the policy was first created or whether the 2019 culture review caused the amendment.

The policy distinguishes protected whistleblower disclosures from personal work-related grievances. It says personal grievances are generally directed to a manager, Human Resources manager or another MECCA leader.

The policy also recognises that a personal grievance may overlap with a disclosable matter in limited circumstances. This can include information concerning misconduct beyond the person's individual circumstances or detrimental treatment connected with a disclosure.

The policy identifies Stopline as an independent and confidential reporting intermediary between the person reporting and MECCA.

A separate Discrimination, Bullying & Harassment Policy is publicly hosted through MECCA's Stopline site. The PDF states an effective date of December 2015. Its current internal status and whether it has subsequently been replaced or amended have not been independently confirmed.

What the sequence establishes

The public sources support a connection between the Estée Laundry controversy and MECCA's immediate 2019 response, including the external culture review, listening process, Stopline and accelerated workplace training.

A later Whistleblower Policy amendment is documented. Its relationship to the culture review is not established.

Accountability questions

• Was the culture review completed, and when was a final report delivered?
• Who conducted the review?
• What were its terms of reference?
• What findings and recommendations resulted?
• Which recommendations were implemented?
• Were findings shared with employees, leadership or the board?
• Did the review lead to changes in Stopline, the Whistleblower Policy or other reporting procedures?
• When was MECCA's Whistleblower Policy first introduced?
• What changed in the February 2022 amendment?
• Which current process applies to bullying, harassment and personal workplace grievances?
• What evidence is available about reporting volumes, response times, outcomes and detrimental treatment?
• Will MECCA publish a summary of the review and its implementation?