Workplace racism measures linked to lower racism rates
Legal anti-racism duties for employers are being pushed at Labor’s National Conference, with researchers arguing workplace racism reforms could reduce discrimination and lift productivity.
The Centre for Indigenous People and Work said any anti-racism strategy in the ALP’s draft national platform should include a “positive duty” requiring employers to have anti-racism policies and procedures, mandatory anti-racism training, complaints procedures and national standards for reporting racism.
Those measures were recommended to the Federal Labor Government in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2024 National Anti-Racism Framework, but have not been legislated. The centre said the model mirrors the Respect@Work reforms introduced to address workplace sexism.
Survey findings on racism
The centre’s national Gari Yala 2 (Speak the Truth) survey of 1,158 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers found Indigenous employees in workplaces with both a racism complaints procedure and anti-discrimination training were less likely to experience racism, at 40% compared to 66% in workplaces with neither.
Workers in those workplaces were also more likely to be very satisfied with their job, at 33% compared to 22%, and less likely to be looking for a new employer within the next year, at 24% compared to 38%.
Only 21% of Indigenous workers were employed by an organisation with both measures in place, while 69% worked for organisations with no racism complaints procedure at all.
Professor Nareen Young, director of the Centre for Indigenous People and Work, said: “Through our Gari Yala 2 survey, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers told us clearly what’s been working for them when it comes to reducing racism at work.”
Young and assistant director Joshua Gilbert were due to present at the conference fringe event LaborEngaged’26 on 23rd July, focusing on positive duty and other workplace reforms for Indigenous workers.
The centre cited an estimate that racial discrimination costs Australia 3% of GDP each year. Joshua Gilbert said the government had had the Australian Human Rights Commission framework since 2024 and the conference was an opportunity to commit to putting it into practice.
