[1][4] In October 2021, the Australian current affairs television program Four Corners interviewed over 100 Sony Music employees who alleged abuse, intimidation and bullying perpetrated by Handlin.
[6][4][1] In February 1996, Handlin was made Chairman of Sony Music Entertainment Australia Limited and appointed to the international committee responsible for the company's global strategy.
[1] In June 2017 at the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Handlin was elevated to and awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of "for distinguished service to the Australian recording industry, through leadership and mentoring roles, as a supporter of young artists, and to charitable organisations as a director, patron and contributor".
He is also alleged to have ordered employees to be fired for "not smiling at him", because he did not like the "look" of them, or for being pregnant, with seven women made redundant while on maternity leave in the period between 2007 and 2013, and "paid cash settlements" following their termination from the company.
Handlin said in a statement that while in charge of the company he "would never tolerate treating women in an inappropriate or discriminatory manner" and when informed of incidents, he "took action to ensure that it was stopped and didn't occur again".
Handlin was reinstated three months later, after which the alleged bullying, harassment and routine humiliation of Sony Music Australia staff continued; nine of the 10 interviewed executives left the company within four years.