News
People with and without disability will be breathing a sigh of relief after a review by Elizabeth Broderick & Co into the workplace culture of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) uncovered an array of bullying allegations.
The NDIS Commission commissioned the independent Cultural Review, which was conducted between September 2024 and June 2025, to better understand how employees were experiencing workplace culture.
Elizabeth Broderick & Co conducted an online survey of 566 employees, interviews and group sessions and invited written submissions, with 2 in 10 employees surveyed revealing they had experienced bullying in the past 12 months, according to the review.
566 individuals were approached to participate in interviews, group sessions and written submissions, with 2 in 10 revealing they had experienced bullying in the past 12 months, according to the review.
"A number of staff described bullying behaviours that involved public humiliation, verbal abuse or intimidation,” the report reads.
"These included managers reprimanding junior staff in front of others, inappropriate or aggressive language from senior leaders, and ongoing fear or anxiety in the workplace."
Findings from the Elizabeth Broderick & Co Review also revealed the psychological impact of the abuse extended beyond work, affecting their wellbeing, relationships, and personal life.
Although 70 per cent of staff with disability considered the agency to be inclusive, others still reported exclusionary practices relating to their disability.
These included inaccessible systems, a lack of formal processes for adjustments, and workplaces which did not consistently meet the needs of people with disability. Several staff described experiences of physical inaccessibility, slow or denied adjustments, and a lack of awareness across leadership.
NDIS Report
NDIS Commissioner Louise Glanville and Associate Commissioner Natalie Wade, both acknowledged the need for workplace improvements.
"The experiences of our staff with a disability were disappointing given the commission has an important role to play in safeguarding the rights of people with disability,” they say.
"We are deeply sorry for these harmful experiences…and we are committed to building an organisation that is safe, inclusive and respectful for all employees."
Community and Public Sector Union Deputy National President, Beth Vincent-Pietsch, believes the findings reflect the notion that "the NDIS Commission is in urgent need of a complete overhaul.”
"The NDIS Commission now has the Broderick Review, the Comcare report and multiple sets of staff census results to inform their next steps and turn this regulator around," Ms Vincent-Pietsch says.
The NDIS Commission claims it has accepted all recommendation received as part of the investigation and will be implementing them in due course.