David Jones to set up anonymous tip hotline for sexual harassment claims

Department store giant David Jones will reportedly set up a hotline for staff members to report instances of sexual harassment by former chief executive Mark McInnes.

As reported by the Australian Financial Review, the hotline is being set up as part of an inquiry following McInnes’s departure after he admitted to interacting with a female staff member in a manner “unbecoming” of the chief executive.

David Jones was contacted by SmartCompany to confirm whether the hotline, or any other measures would be implemented as part of the inquiry, but received no response before publication.

It is understood David Jones is using a third-party investigator, who has been identified as a partner at a major law firm specialising in sexual harassment claims, to conduct the inquiry.

As part of this inquiry, the company is reportedly reviewing the different ways employees can report inappropriate behaviour. The anonymous hotline will be set up to allow direct contact with the investigator.

Further harassment claims against McInnes have reportedly sparked the move to an anonymous hotline, even though McInnes has denied a recent claim suggesting he harassed one woman at a company function six years ago.

Additionally, chairman Bob Savage has said he is unaware of any complaints put against McInnes, other than the most recent incident which saw him resign.

But major shareholders have reportedly questioned the board regarding McInnes’s behaviour, and have asked whether there have been any other complaints.

Yesterday, McInnes said he would “categorically deny” the new allegation regarding an incident at the Royal Randwick races in 2004.

“It is simply not true and I have appointed Johnson Winter and Slattery to defend me in any court that such a matter could or would be tested.”

Harmers Workplace Lawyers have confirmed is it representing the employee involved, 25-year old publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk, but have said it will reveal no more about the incident.