A survey of ABC News staff has found 13 per cent of respondents experienced sexual harassment at work and more than a quarter have been bullied over the past two years, in what has been described as a "pervasive" issue in the workplace.

Female-identifying employees were twice as likely to be bullied than their colleagues, and also made up the vast majority of people who had experienced sexual harassment. 

The survey was conducted independently by the Australian National University's Social Research Centre on behalf of the ABC, following requests from female-identified employees.

Female staff twice as likely to be bullied

The report found that bullying and bullying behaviours "are pervasive in the News Division of the ABC".

A quarter of the 745 staff who responded to the survey — about 29 per cent of the ABC News workforce — reported they had been bullied in the past two years, and more than half said they had been "subjected to bullying behaviours".

Almost 30 per cent of female-identified respondents said they did not feel safe at work, and a large proportion said they had witnessed bullying at work.

Male-identified respondents were significantly less likely to have witnessed bullying behaviour.

Of the 399 people who experienced bullying, 65 per cent did not report it or make a complaint, 26 per cent made an informal report, and the remainder made a formal complaint.

Of those who reported bullying, only 30 per cent felt supported by their manager.

Less than a quarter of respondents who were sexually harassed reported it

Female-identifying staff made up 90 per cent of the respondents who reported having personally experienced sexual harassment in the past two years, and almost half said the person who harassed them was a peer.

Eight in 10 said the perpetrator was a man, and most indicated the harassment took place in their work area or office.

Less than a quarter reported the incident, and those who did mostly chose to do so informally.

The report found there was a reluctance among staff to take formal action after experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment or bullying, largely because they did not believe there would be a good outcome.

More than a quarter of respondents said they believed there would be negative consequences for their career if they made a formal report.

ABC pledges action, but female staff are less confident of change 

The report found staff had "reasonable" levels of confidence that the ABC could action meaningful change to increase diversity and inclusion and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. 

However, staff were less confident the national broadcaster could ensure equal opportunity and prevent bullying, with about a quarter of respondents saying they were "not at all confident" the ABC could enact change.

Female-identifying employees were the least confident that bullying could be stamped out.

In an email to staff, ABC News director Justin Stevens said ABC leadership was "determined to enact change that will ensure we all come to work with the assurance we will be safe".

ABC managing director David Anderson said the harassment and bullying outlined in the report was "unacceptable in any workplace", and said he recognised there would need to be "difficult and confronting conversations" within the organisation.

"If anyone doesn't understand or accept this, then the ABC is not the working environment for them," he said.

"There will be consequences for those staff who are found to have behaved in an unacceptable manner, no matter what their role is at the ABC."

A new reporting system has been put in place for people to anonymously report bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination or racism. 

A further 10 recommendations have been made in the report, which have been adopted either partially or in full by the ABC.