Mining giant Fortescue is under scrutiny for workplace conduct, with an external investigation into allegations against a senior executive currently ongoing. The investigation was initiated by law firm MinterEllison, while the executive in question remains employed during the probe. Simultaneously, a class action filed in July accuses Fortescue of broader workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment. This case follows similar proceedings involving BHP and Rio Tinto, raising concerns about workplace culture within some of Australia's largest mining companies. The separate investigations, court cases, and internal reporting figures reveal the complexities of assessing workplace conduct through a single set of numbers. Fortescue has engaged MinterEllison to examine the allegations against an unnamed senior executive and has sought external legal and governance advice on handling the matter during the inquiry. Despite this, Gus Pichot, Fortescue's energy chief, stated that the company is adhering to appropriate processes while the executive remains employed. The investigation comes amidst Fortescue's annual disclosure of workplace conduct figures, which show a 20% drop in psychosocial breaches during the latest financial year. However, this category encompasses a wide range of workplace concerns and cannot be treated as a direct measure of sexual misconduct. Fortescue has reported 11 dismissals for breaches involving discrimination and sexual harassment, with cases including 13 incidents of inappropriate sexual contact, 10 instances of sexual harassment, and one classified as sexual assault. Sexual harassment continues to pose a challenge for Australia's resources industry, particularly in Western Australia, where remote mining sites have faced scrutiny for years. A state inquiry into sexual harassment in the resources sector began in 2021, bringing greater attention to complaints about inappropriate behavior and the difficulties workers face when reporting misconduct in workplaces with pronounced power structures. The issue is not confined to Fortescue, as BHP reported 380 sexual harassment complaints in its latest financial year, a decrease of 11% from the previous year, and dismissed 109 employees for sexual harassment and 22 for racial harassment. Rio Tinto has seen an increase in reports reaching its employee support system, with 702 incidents recorded through its Care Hub during 2025, a 24% rise from the previous year. The figures from these three mining companies cannot be compared directly due to differences in reporting systems, definitions, and workforce sizes, and an increase in reports may reflect changes in reporting behavior as well as underlying levels of misconduct.