A new survey by The Culture Institute of Australia reveals that 75% of Australian workers have experienced toxic work cultures in the last five years. The study, involving 273 companies, highlights senior leadership as a key contributor, with 47% of respondents pointing to leadership failures. The findings call for urgent attention to cultural leadership, as the country’s premier workplace culture conference, CultureCon 2024, approaches.
Scheduled for October 22 at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse, CultureCon will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, including Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, as the keynote speaker.
Other notable presenters include David Larocca, CEO of EY Oceania; Georgie Harmon, CEO of Beyond Blue; and Rob Woodhouse, CEO of Swimming Australia. Renowned journalist Tracey Spicer will serve as the event’s MC, bringing her expertise and insight to the day’s proceedings.
The conference aims to address toxic work environments, with a focus on AI’s impact, cultural leadership, and creating high-performing cultures. Notable statistics from the survey include:
- 98% of workers consider workplace culture important, with 81% rating it as extremely important.
- 79% of women report toxic work experiences, compared to 61% of men.
- 45% doubt their employers are ensuring psychological safety.
CultureCon will provide leaders with strategies to build positive, productive workplaces amidst evolving norms like the “right to disconnect.” Tickets start at $695.