Racial Discrimination Drives Indigenous Workforce Exodus

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WARNING: Distressing content

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are three times more likely to leave their workplace due to racism, according to a new report unveiled on Wednesday.

The University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Indigenous People and Work recently unveiled a revealing report titled Gari Yala – Speak the Truth. The study highlights a troubling reality: 38 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals have experienced workplace mistreatment due to their cultural backgrounds.

40 per cent reported overhearing racial or ethnic slurs or jokes about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and more than half said they were subject to comments about their physical appearances as Indigenous people.

Indigenous employees are two-and-a-half times less likely to be satisfied at work compared to non-Indigenous colleagues who were not subject to racism or unfair treatment.

The report follows the first instalment of research, Gari Yala, released in 2020 by the UTS Centre, led by Professor Nareen Young.

“Our Gari Yala work, the only Indigenous-led survey of First Nations employees in Australia, again shows that racism is an endemic problem in our workplaces,” Professor Young said.

“This is a massive productivity issue for the country and it’s why this needs to stop.

The findings indicate a disconnect between evolving societal values and stagnant workplace practices. “It’s not 1925 anymore—our community values have shifted significantly, yet it appears that workplaces have failed to keep pace. We need fresh strategies that allow everyone to contribute to their fullest potential,” the report underscores.

This research was strategically released to coincide with the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) two-day conference held in Melbourne, drawing attention to a critical issue.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil expressed her profound concern regarding the report’s findings. “This is not only detrimental to the well-being of workers and their families but also hampers economic growth. Such behavior is unacceptable in modern Australia,” she stated.

O’Neil further emphasized the insidious nature of seemingly harmless remarks. “What might seem like a joke can inflict deep hurt, especially when someone has heard it countless times before,” she noted, calling for greater awareness and sensitivity in the workplace.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Conference 2025: Anti-Racism, Truth & Treaty will bring together union leaders from around the country to discuss the affects of workplace racism on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil said she was “deeply disturbed” by the report data.

“We all need to make sure our workplaces are safe for everyone,” she said.

“No one should be forced to leave a job because of racism. Unfortunately, that is often the reality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers.

“Racism causes distress and imposes a financial penalty on workers and their families who may be forced to change jobs to deal with it.

“That’s bad for workers and their families and for economic growth and has no place in modern Australia.”

ACTU Indigenous Affairs Officer and Birri Gubba woman from Central West Queensland, Lara Watson said systemic racism is “embedded in Australia workplace culture”.

“Racism causes chronic stress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers,” she said.

“It’s like death by a thousand cuts and you live in fear hoping that each cut isn’t the last one that you can’t handle.

“A comment may seem like a joke, but it can cut deeply if someone is hearing it for the thousandth time.”

Lara Watson from the ACTU and Adam Fletcher from the Finance Sector Union attended the two-day conference in Melbourne. Credit: Cameron Gooley/NITV News

Ms Watson believes it crucial for industry to understand “what is required to create safe workplace for all workers”.

In attendance at the conference will be Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman.

The commissioner is set to outline the new National Anti-Racism Framework which was informed by extensive community consultations that included over 1,200 people who have lived experience of racism.