As 26 January approaches, DCA acknowledges the diverse perspectives surrounding this day.
Australia Day evokes different emotions for employees, and organisations are increasingly receptive to employees who do not feel comfortable taking the public holiday and choose to work on the day instead. More employers are embracing flexibility by offering alternatives.
It is widely recognised as a day of mourning by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who carry a heavy cultural load and trauma related to this day. DCA encourages employers to maintain a focus on cultural sensitivity and be mindful of this.
To support this, DCA has collated some helpful resources below.
How to be an ally:
Gari Yala told us that First Nations people already experience cultural load at work. We can lighten that load by educating ourselves. Research tells us that good allies do the work to educate themselves, others, and their organisation, rather than relying on people who are marginalised to shoulder this burden.
If you are interested in immersing yourself with community on 26 January and embracing and learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and truth telling, here are some examples and you can also look at what else might be happening in your local area:
Yabun Festival in Sydney
NGV – Bark Ladies: Eleven Artists from Yirrkala in Melbourne
Birak Concert 2024 in Perth
Resources to Support Inclusive Practices:
- First Nations Identity Strain and Cultural Load at Work: Event recording and presentation
- DCA’s research report – Gari Yala: Speak the Truth. This research unveils the initiatives that have been proven to be successful to create an inclusive work environment. Gari Yala sets out a framework of ten truths to create workplace inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees
- Our blog post on moving forward post-referendum
- DCA’s guide – Creating Inclusive Multifaith Workplaces: (page 15) a guide to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spiritualities
- DCA’s research report – Racism at Work: How Organisations Can Stand Up to and End Workplace Racism
- DCA’s guide #WordsAtWork – Building inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the power of language
- DCA Report – Future-Flex: mainstreaming flexibility by design
- DCA Report – Inclusive leadership