Multiple staff members said they had expressed concerns about his behaviour prior to his arrest and the Herald previously reported he was facing a separate disciplinary inquiry when he was sacked after the criminal charge.
Former chief executive of OneRoof, Greg Hornblow, was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention after admitting to receiving commercial sex services from a 14-year-old girl. He had previously been the subject of HR complaints by NZME staff.
The independent workplace review was conducted by lawyer Andrew Scott-Howman and a summary of its findings were sent to staff by NZME chair Steven Joyce and chief executive Michael Boggs in April.
Joyce and Boggs told staff the review found NZME had more work to do to “promote and maintain a supportive work environment in which employees and other persons are treated with respect and dignity”.
They said the company “wants to earn your confidence by ensuring any allegations raised are treated seriously and handled appropriately”.
They also said the review identified two other specific issues elsewhere in the company, which were referred to Boggs and NZME’s leadership.
In a statement to the Herald this week, Boggs said, “As previously mentioned, NZME’s independent review identified two specific issues within the company. These matters were addressed immediately.
“As a result, one of the people involved no longer works at NZME.
“The other matter remains under investigation, and we expect that to conclude shortly. For privacy reasons, we are unable to provide further detail.”
Boggs said through a spokesperson the person who left was not a manager and police were not involved.
NZME chair Steven Joyce and chief executive Michael Boggs said the review found NZME had more work to do to “promote and maintain a supportive work environment in which employees and other persons are treated with respect and dignity”. Photo / Composite
A former senior staff member at NZME – one of the employees who raised concerns about Hornblow to the company’s HR team prior to his arrest – told the Herald she would have liked the review to have actively engaged with all NZME staff rather than focusing on OneRoof and ZM.
She also wanted information released about what was discovered in the review that led to a staff member leaving.
“I understand the need to protect people’s privacy, but the lack of detail makes it difficult … to assess whether … management’s response matched the seriousness of the issues identified.”
In a statement, Boggs said while the review was focused on OneRoof and ZM “the board also invited anyone from across the company who may have concerns to contribute to the review.
“We are committed to ensuring our people feel safe and supported in reporting any concerns they have and that they can be confident any complaint will be taken seriously and addressed promptly.”
Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007 to 2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.