Research to begin on the critical topic of First Nations workplace inclusion 

First Nations-led will reveal more about the experiences of Indigenous Australians at work and provide recommendations to create workplaces where Indigenous people can thrive.

Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Jumbunna Institute/Business School will partner on the new research, providing a follow-up to the 2020 Gari Yala report that revealed the racism and lack of cultural safety experienced by Indigenous people across Australian workplaces.

In the first Gari Yala (meaning ‘speak the truth’) report, almost half of Indigenous employees reported hearing racial slurs, 59% experienced appearance-based racism while 39% felt they carried a high cultural load in the form of having to educate others. 

Associate Dean at UTS Business School and Professor, Indigenous Policy at the Jumbunna Institute, Nareen Young, said Gari Yala had become the benchmark for Indigenous inclusion, but the world for First Nations people employment was changing rapidly. 

“To speak the truth about the lived experience of Indigenous Australians at work is crucial to creating fair and equal workplaces that are working towards safety and are free from racism, discrimination and bias,” Professor Young said. 

“With this research we want to build on the findings of the first Gari Yala report and begin to understand the Indigenous wages gap. We want to track the psychosocial impact of racism at work, examine cultural/colonial load and its impacts more carefully while tracking the impact of intersectional considerations.”

Increasing the opportunities for Indigenous workers in aged care has been a common talking point of late, with Andrea Kelly, the Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, sharing her priorities at the ARIIA conference last week.

She said aged care needs to start changing the way they look at recruitment. 

“I’ve heard about lack of choice. Aboriginal people do want to use community-controlled services, there are not enough of them. So how do we build that sector? That’s a question for all of you [in attendance],” Ms Kelly said.

“We have talked about skills gaps, workforce shortages, restrictive worker screening policies. If you have a fine from 20 years ago and you’ve had a police check and the fine comes up, that’s excluding a lot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from working, from even being a gardener in a service.”

The project will utilise Indigenous research methodology to provide a First Nations perspective on issues. It will also be overseen by an Indigenous Expert Panel. 

Professor Lindon Coombes, Director, Jumbunna Research, said the report would provide a crucial contribution to the national conversation around employment for Indigenous people.

“As an Indigenous-led research body with strong connections to community, the Jumbunna Institute is enabling Indigenous workers to speak up about their experiences in the workplace,” he added.

Improving workplace experiences for Indigenous employees may have direct positive outcomes for older Indigenous people wary of entering a residential care setting. As Ms Kelly highlighted, Stolen Generation survivors are now all eligible for aged care, yet most are scared of going into a care home. 

“Let’s think about how we support group homes where they still, as they refer to them, can be with their brothers and sisters; where they can be cared for by someone they know and trust,” she added. 

Lisa Annese, DCA CEO, said she was proud to once again be involved with the Jumbunna Institute and UTS Business School as they begin working on the crucial research phase of Gari Yala. 

With over 1,000 workers to be surveyed, Ms Annese said it was more important than ever to truly listen to First Nations voices.

“In light of last year’s disappointing referendum result, and with DCA research showing worsening workplace discrimination toward First Nations people, we must intensify efforts towards reconciliation,” Ms Annese said. 

“The Gari Yala report was the first of its kind; it changed the conversation around how First Nations people are treated at work and paved the way for a more thoughtful and considered approach to making workplaces safer and more inclusive.”

The second Gari Yala report will be released in 2025.