More than half of Indigenous employees continue to face race-based comments and assumptions at work, research shows.
The findings come less than a week after the federal government announced an inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at First Peoples, which will examine the nature, scale and impact of racism targeting Indigenous people, including systemic racism, the influence of online platforms, and measures designed to prevent and respond to discrimination.
The data from the Centre for Indigenous People and Work (CIPW) at the University of Technology Sydney, published under Gari Yala 2 (Speak the Truth) and released on Wednesday, found 60 per cent of Indigenous employees experience racism in Australian workplaces.
In a survey of more than 1,100 Indigenous people, only 40 per cent said their workplace was culturally safe. A quarter (25 per cent) described their workplace as culturally unsafe, while 35 per cent said it was only moderately safe.
Last week, Professor Nareen Young, Director of CIPW, called on the government to ensure the Senate inquiry includes racism in the workplace. On Wednesday, she said the data from Gari Yala 2 showed that although there had been some improvement since the first report in 2020, "racism and lack of cultural safety remain widespread".
Some indicators have improved. More employees now feel safe to share their identity — 79 per cent in 2026 compared with 72 per cent in 2020 — and seven of nine forms of racism have eased slightly, declining by between 0.4 and 1 per cent per year.
However, several key measures show little or no progress. These include unfair treatment (38 per cent in both years), high cultural load (63 per cent compared with 64 per cent), and the fact that only 21 per cent of workplaces offer both anti-racism training and formal complaint processes.
Without further policy or legislative change, it could take another 118 years for Indigenous workers never to hear racial slurs and jokes at work, Professor Young said.
"The increasing numbers of our mob in work where they had previously been excluded form employment market participation has been a great achievement, but these workplaces need to be made safe. No one should have to suffer vilification and ridicule as part of their conditions of employment."
Gari Yala 2 was backed by the NAB Foundation. Head of First Nations Affairs at NAB, Samantha Webster, said the research and report showed the "power of listening to lived experiences, backing it up with strong data to help people feel safe, respected, and able to contribute fully at work".
"Trust grows when First Nations peoples can see their experiences reflected," she said. "The research builds credibility in the system and gives leaders clear evidence to act on, not just good intentions."
Last week, Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Committee Chair, Senator Jana Stewart, said First Nations people in Australia "deserve to live free from racism, hate and violence.
"This inquiry is an important opportunity to understand the nature, prevalence and impact of racism in our communities and to identify practical actions for combatting racism and reducing individual and collective harm," the Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman said.
"If we are serious about community safety, we must confront the environment in which hatred grows."
The survey found some of the most effective actions for addressing workplace racism are among the least commonly used, including recognising Indigenous dates of significance. However, Professor Young said these actions are less strongly associated with lower levels of racism than measures focused on internal policies and procedures.
Instead, she claimed organisations appear more comfortable investing in actions that signal a commitment to change rather than undertaking deeper reforms to internal systems and workplace culture.
"Gari Yala found that racism is widespread but not inevitable," Professor Young said.
"The research also shows that workplaces with measures like a complaints procedure and appropriate training have lower levels of racism. We urge employers to take heed of the findings and act because we shouldn't have to wait a century to rid our workplaces of racism."
