Work health and safety harms affecting Aboriginal workers and businesses final report
Executive Summary
Read the full report here.
Background and method
Evidence from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (AWIRS 1995) suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers are at greater risk of work-related injuries and illness. Beyond AWIRS 1995, however, little research has been conducted in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work health and safety (WHS), with the last substantive study conducted in 2001. This has given rise to significant knowledge and practice gaps relating to the nature and prevalence of WHS risks in this population, particularly in a New South Wales context. There is also little known about factors that may exacerbate or mitigate these risks. This makes it challenging for businesses to spearhead practical initiatives that drive real and lasting change. Focused research into the WHS of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and businesses is therefore needed to address these critical gaps.
This report details the results of a project that aimed to identify topics for future research by the Centre for WHS. To meet this objective, an expert advisory panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people representing a diversity of sectors was recruited; an online survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers to identify WHS risks, hazards, and experiences was conducted; two workshops to discuss potential solutions to the issues raised in the survey were convened.
Results and Discussion
The survey and workshops highlighted a range of key WHS issues that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders face in the workplace. Almost 31% of the survey respondents could be classified as “WHS-vulnerable”, meaning they are exposed to workplace hazards and possess inadequate WHS awareness or empowerment, or work within an organisation that has inadequate WHS policies and procedures. The key hazards identified in the study were racism, lateral violence*, bullying, high work demands, exposure to traumatic events, and lack of role clarity. These hazards appear to have longer-term and more widespread effects, with over 33% of the survey sample reporting some level of burnout, 20% reporting that they do not report WHS hazards because they fear negative repercussions and more than 25% reporting that they have left, or considered leaving, a workplace due to an unaddressed WHS risk. Potential solutions to these challenges discussed by workshop participants focused on cultural awareness training, auditing and reporting tools, and greater accountability.
Recommendations
The recommended topics for consideration by the Centre for WHS in its future research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander WHS are summarised in the table below. These recommendations are ranked based on the prevalence and impact of the WHS issue. Beside each topic are three potential research questions which are based on the evidence collected in this project and the input of the expert advisory panel. Given the paucity of research in this area, there could be many other research questions to be addressed as part of each topic listed.
| Topic | Potential focus research questions |
|---|---|
| Mechanisms for reporting and handling racism and bullying in the workplace | 1. How can culturally safe workplaces be established and sustained? 2. What are the barriers and facilitators to reporting incidents of racism and bullying? 3. What are effective and sustainable ways to promote diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace? |
| The individual, organisational, and community effects of lateral violence | 1. What are the individual and organisational triggers for lateral violence in the workplace? 2. What initiatives for addressing lateral violence in the workplace are effective and sustainable? 3. What are the roles of the individual, organisation, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in addressing lateral violence? |
| The importance and effects of community obligations | 1. What is/are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander definition(s) of “work-life balance”? 2. What are the early warning signs of sub-optimal work-life balance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers? 3. What workplace-level and community-wide initiatives are effective for promoting and sustaining optimal work-life balance among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers? |
| The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience of work-related stress and burnout | 1. What are the early warning signs of work-related stress and burnout among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers? |
*Defined as conflict that occurs between members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community against a complex background of historical disadvantage, oppression, and colonisation (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2010)