There are problems at Australia's national science agency but there's no toxic culture or widespread bullying, an independent inquiry has found.
Former Commonwealth ombudsman Dennis Pearce investigated 130 allegations of workplace bullying, discrimination and unreasonable behaviour from current and former CSIRO staff.
Professor Pearce's phase one report found there were no major problems of workplace bullying and it was not possible to describe the work culture as toxic.
It regretted that efforts were made by some people to dissuade others from making submissions.
The report found pockets of concern including shortcomings in CSIRO's policies and procedures for handling complaints.
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"While we do not think it to be the case, it is possible that these procedural issues have served to mask a more significant incidence of workplace bullying than the evidence to us reveals," the report said.
Prof Pearce has made 34 recommendations which focus on changing the way in which complaints by staff are managed.
The CSIRO said it would implement the recommendations but some would take time.
Twenty-two of the allegations will be further investigated by Prof Pearce and his team.
