lets begin with the details of the complaint. you might be barking up the wrong tree hoops:
The chief of staff to the deputy prime minister has claimed she was forced out of her job after she raised a bullying complaint against colleagues in her office.
Jo Tarnawsky, a career public servant, remains employed as Richard Marles' chief of staff but said she has not been able to enter her office without notice since June and that she hasn't seen or heard from the minister for months.
She has not accused Mr Marles of bullying but claimed that she has been "bullied out of her job".
"No fair process has been followed. I continue to be employed officially as the deputy prime minister's chief of staff, but I have been prevented from doing my job," she told reporters after calling a media conference, where she did not take questions herself.
"I know it won't be long now before I am bullied out of this place completely."
She was accompanied at the media conference by Michael Bradley from Marque Lawyers who described her as "effectively a messenger that's been shot" but added that they were not anticipating litigation. Ms Tarnawsky alleges that in late April she raised private concerns "about some bullying behaviour within the office" with Mr Marles as they travelled back from a trip to Ukraine.
After arriving back in Australia she said Mr Marles made it clear that she should "start looking for alternative employment" in response to the concerns that had been raised and demanded she take "several weeks" of leave.
When she tried to return to work in June, she alleges the prime minister's chief of staff told her she could not return to her role or her office.
"The events of the last five months have been devastating — cut off from my job and ostracised without warning," she said.
"I have been plagued with nightmares, flashbacks, symptoms of depression and anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. I had none of these symptoms before May 2024.
"The way I have been treated has been cowardly, cruel and completely unnecessary."
Neither Ms Tarnawsky nor her lawyer provided details on the nature of the bullying complaint she made against her colleagues.
abc link.
