NAIDOC Week is a yearly celebration that allows all Australians to recognise the history, culture and achievements of our First Nations communities. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the societal issues of unfairness and inequality still affecting individuals, communities and cultures in our country.

Last year’s theme of "Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!", was a call to action, enjoining people to stand together to call out racism. In this year’s theme, “For Our Elders”, the focus is still on righting unfairness. This year, the National NAIDOC Committee asks us all to fight for? the wealth of wisdom represented by First Nations Elders, with the NAIDOC website stating that “the equality we continue to fight for is found in their fight”.

First Nations communities experience disadvantage and inequality across a wide range of categories. They experience higher rates of infant mortality and lower life expectancy than other Australians. Overall mental and physical health indicators are poorer for First Nations peoples. They also experience lower levels of education, and higher levels of incarceration.

Many interconnected political, cultural, social and economic reasons, historic and ongoing, contribute to this inequality. The National Agreement on Closing the Gap acknowledges this complexity, and contains 19 national socio-economic targets that have an impact on outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

One focus area of the National Agreement is employment.

Inequality in First Nations employment

Closing the Gap Target Outcome 8 aims to achieve "Strong economic participation and development of people and their communities" by increasing the employment rate of First Nations people aged 25-64 to 62 per cent by 2031.

Recent statistics reveal there is still a long way to go on this marker. Inequality in employment for First Nations people remains stark.

At the 2021 census the employment rate for First Nations Australians was 51 per cent, compared with 74 per cent for other Australians. This is not only significantly short of the 61 per cent target for 2031, it also falls short of the 60 per cent target for 2018 that had been set in 2008. The First Nations employment rate has grown by a mere 3 per cent since the 2008 target setting, so change so far has been incremental at best.

Unsurprisingly, there is a correlation between unequal employment and unequal education outcomes. The 2021 census data revealed almost half of First Nations Australians did not have a qualification beyond secondary education (compared with 31 per cent of other Australians), and while 37 per cent of other Australians had a university qualification, only 12 per cent of people who identified as First Nations did. Significantly, unemployment rates for First Nations people with an education level of year 12 or less was 43 per cent.

Equality benefits employers

These are complex issues which require attention at national, state and local policy levels, in close consultation with First Nations communities themselves.

But this is a significant consideration for employers too – and not only from a social responsibility perspective. Research has shown that diversity, equity and inclusion are key factors when it comes to attracting, engaging and retaining staff, especially millennial and Gen Z employees.

In fact, more than three quarters of job seekers and employees consider diversity an important factor when evaluating job offers, and 39 per cent of employees (and 50 per cent of millennial employees) have said they would leave their current organisation for a more inclusive one.

Equality, including for First Nations peoples, shouldn't just be a buzzword then, or a tokenistic display. Increasingly it needs to become a core part of how we all do business.

Easy steps to affirm your organisation's approach

Organisations can lead by example and play a key role in tackling inequality in our society. Business leaders are increasingly realising the value of the Triple Bottom Line, a business concept where organisations commit to measuring their social and environmental impact, in addition to their financial performance, rather than solely focusing on generating profit.

The Triple Bottom Line is broken down into “three Ps”: Profit, People, and Planet. When it comes to tackling inequality, “people” is perhaps the most pertinent consideration, as it highlights a business’s societal impact, or its commitment to people.

"Traditionally, businesses have favoured shareholder value as an indicator of success, meaning they strive to generate value for those who own shares of the company," wrote Kelsey Miller for the Harvard Business School Online.

"As firms have increasingly embraced sustainability, they’ve shifted their focus toward creating value for all stakeholders impacted by business decisions, including customers, employees, and community members."

Miller points towards moving away from only looking after shareholders to incorporating stakeholders. This includes customers, employees, and community members.

She outlines some simple ways companies can make an impact on people and serve future generations, including ensuring fair hiring practices and encouraging volunteerism in the workplace. She also suggests looking beyond the organisation itself, for example by forming strategic partnerships with nonprofit organisations that share a common purpose-driven goal.

Organisations at the forefront of fighting inequality

Obviously, everyone can and should play a part in tackling all forms of harassment and discrimination. However, an organisation is in a unique position to make a significant difference – especially when supported by legislation.

Recent changes to the Fair Work Act legislation introduced a positive duty requiring an employer to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate, as far as possible, sexual harassment and harassment or discrimination on the ground of a person’s sex.

We all have a joint responsibility to provide a safe workplace, free from any form of harassment, bullying and discrimination. However, the organisation now has the responsibility to proactively take steps to prevent harassment, bullying and discrimination from occurring in the first place, instead of simply responding to conduct that has already occurred.

While the recent changes specifically pertain to workplace sexual harassment, they provide one example of how workplace law and action at an organisational level can combine to eliminate disrespectful behaviours that contribute to inequality.

Acclaimed Workforce’s Workplace Relations experts can provide assistance with policy and procedure development, roll-out plans, and training aligned with recent legislative changes. Contact us to find out how we can assist with this and other DEI considerations in your business.