Home > Latest News > Sony, Sackings, Fines, Now Global Bullying & Harassment Investigation

Sony, Sackings, Fines, Now Global Bullying & Harassment Investigation

Sony is back in the headlines as global bosses finally investigate the Australian operations for questionable conduct that has been going on for decades at the scandal ridden Company.

The latest investigation follows new claims of discrimination, bullying and harassment at its Sony Music operation.

ChannelNews is also aware that local management at the Companies now closed Mobile phone division were also asked to investigate bullying by a senior manager now working for another major European brand, it’s not known whether claims at this division will also be investigated by  Sony’s oversea human resources executives.

ChannelNews is in possession of correspondence from a former employee now working for Microsoft who claims that she and others at the Mobile Division were harassed by a former senior manager before he was sacked, and the division closed down.

That individual recently had his lawyers write to us following our investigations of the former employees claims, also had his lawyers write to Sony management in an effort to try and clear his name.

Sony failed to meet his request or write a letter of clearing him of any wrongdoing.

epa08191588 The Sony logo is seen at a showroom in Tokyo, Japan, 04 February 2020. Sony Corp. increased its group net and operating profit forecast for the fiscal year 2019 through March 2020. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

Now Nine Media has revealed that Sony Music’s head office in the United States is investigating claims of discrimination, bullying and harassment at the local music operation after Tony Glover, its former vice president of commercial music was fired following an internal investigation found he had bullied and harassed a number of men and women at the company.

Sony has a questionable reputation in Australia at best with senior management sacked last year in their consumer division and the Company fined millions in their PlayStation division for trying to rort consumers.

Tony Glover former Sony Music employee

Last year the Federal Court ordered Sony Interactive Entertainment to pay $3.5 million in penalties for making false and misleading representations on its website and in dealings with Australian consumers.

In the latest saga to hit the local Company Sony Music’s global head of human resources has contacted former and current employees of Sony Music Australia after a staff member at the label’s Darlinghurst HQ made a complaint.

The source said the HR boss, who is based in New York, has held confidential discussions with at least four former and current staff members, while others have directly contacted him themselves.

The executive, who only took up his role in January, forwarded enquiries about his investigation to Sony’s global head of corporate communications, who declined to comment for the Nine Media story.

After Glovers dismissal was revealed a dozen current and former Sony Music staff members have contacted The Sun-Herald and Sunday Age to reveal their experiences working at one of the largest consumer electronics and content Companies in Australia.

Journalists like me, who have exposed questionable behaviour by senior Sony management are banned from attending Sony events.

Abel Makhraz former head of Sony Consumer Electronics Division

Last year we revealed that the head of Sony Consumer Electronics the Deputy General Manager at Sony Australia who joined the Company in 2006 rising through the ranks to become part of the top management team was suddenly walked to the door.

In the past we have exposed other management sacking over questionable tax filings.

Recently the Company launched a new TV range in Australia ChannelNews and SmartHouse were not invited because we fail to follow the companies ‘party line’ spin. we are an organisation who does not kiss the backside of Sony executives to get marketing dollar expenditure.

In the latest exposure the Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age have been told of multiple instances where Sony Music Australia is alleged to have made pregnant women and new mothers redundant, only for their roles to be re-named and then filled by someone new.

One former staff member who worked at Sony Music Australia for four years as a label coordinator said she was sexually harassed by a senior manager, whom The Sun-Herald and Sunday Age isn’t naming for legal reasons, the day before he conducted her performance review.

“We were at a casual work event where everyone was drinking except me.

I remember (the senior manager) slurring his speech when he told me he would be doing my performance review the next day,” she said.

“He leaned in and looked down my top and said, ‘if your review was based on your physique, you’d get top marks’.”

The woman, who asked not to be named because she still works in the music industry and is worried about possible retaliation, said that when she complained to Sony Music Australia’s human resources department she was initially supported and offered a promotion. She said the promotion never materialised.

The woman also claims she was physically assaulted by a different senior manager at Sony who grabbed her on the breast at a concert.

Another woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Nine Media that in her experience at Sony senior men were allowed to prey on junior women without any consequences.

She said she had consensual sex with a senior Sony Music Australia executive and was later chastised by human resources for “upsetting” the man when she raised the affair with him at a work function.

In the past Sony Australia has been fined tens of millions over questionable tax filings.

A dispute with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in 2013 saw the business forking out over A$50 million of back taxes and penalties because of questionable behaviour by the Japanese Company.



You may also like
Sony Pauses PlayStation VR2 Production
“3x Faster” Sony PS5 Pro Tipped For 2024 Release
New PS5 System Update Rolling Out
Best Buy Stops Selling Physical Media; Sony Takes Over Disney’s DVDs, Blu-rays
Mass Sackings At Sony, OZ PlayStation Operation Impacted, Will TV Division Be Next?