The ‘class ceiling’ – the hidden barrier in Australian workplaces.
In a country that prides itself on being the land of the ‘fair go’, does class at work make a difference?
New landmark research by DCA shows how class can be a significant barrier across all aspects of an employee’s life, including recruitment, networking, promotion, and access to career development.
Join us online for a presentation of this new research and in-depth discussion about the practical steps that employers can take to build class inclusion at work. The event will cover:
- understanding class, classism, and how they show up at work
- why organisations need to prioritise class inclusion
- what organisational barriers create class exclusive workplaces
- what actions organisations can take to create class diverse and inclusive workplaces.
The panel includes:
- Stephen Hosie (he/him), Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
- Brooke Massender (she/her), Partner and Global Head of Pro Bono, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
- Lisa Fowkes (she/her), Director Employment Initiatives, Social Ventures Australia
- Professor Hari Bapuji (he/him), Professor in Management, Department of Management and Marketing, Melbourne University.
This event is hybrid and will also be hosted by our event sponsor Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer at their Sydney office. To join us in-person, please register here.
Live captions can be accessed on your smart device during the event.
If you need an Auslan interpreter, we need to know at least 10 working days before the event.
If you have any other access needs let us know by emailing events@dca.org.au.
In a country that prides itself on ‘the fair go’, why do so many workers still feel held back by their class background?
Our pivotal Class at Work report revealed that social class was one of the most powerful indicators of workplace inclusion, yet it remains largely overlooked in D&I policy.
Later this year, we’ll be building on our social class research with a new report – Class Inclusion at Work. This new resource will give an updated state of play for class inclusion in workplaces across Australia and provide practical ways for employers to reduce class-based exclusion.
A hidden barrier: the ‘class ceiling’
Early insights from the report have revealed a persistent ‘class ceiling’ limiting career opportunities for workers who are marginalised by their social class (class marginalised). The data shows:
- only 44% of class marginalised workers have been offered career development opportunities in the past year, compared to 76% who are privileged by their social class (class privileged)
- just 4% of leaders identified as class marginalised, compared to 40% who reported class privilege.
- only 22% of class marginalised workers feel valued and respected in their team – nearly half the rate of their class privileged peers (41%).
These stark differences likely persist because many people in positions of power don’t see how social class affects workers. In fact, only 24% of leaders recognise that social class makes a difference in Australia.
However, the data also showed that workplace inclusion does make a difference – class marginalised employees who work in inclusive organisations are more than twice as likely to have participated in career development opportunities. They’re also:
- nearly 10 times more likely to be satisfied with their job
- 5 times more likely to feel work positively impacts their mental health
- 5 times more likely to report their team works effectively together
- 4 times more likely to provide excellent customer service.
Turning data into action: join the conversation
On Friday 22 August, DCA will bring social class to the forefront during a panel discussion at our flagship event.
Following DCA’s 2025 Anna McPhee Oration, where the Governor-General of Australia will reflect on her first year in office, a panel of leading experts will set the scene for DCA’s upcoming Class Inclusion at Work report. The powerhouse panel will unpack why class matters at work and how we can begin dismantling the structures that hold people back.
Our panellists include:
- Doug Taylor (he/him) – Chief Executive Officer, The Smith Family
- Gwladys Ngo Tedga (she/her) – Partner, Risk Advisory, Ashurst
- Travis Lovett (he/him) – Former Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission
- Farhana Laffernis (she/her) – Research Manager, DCA.
Shifting the narrative: hear from our expert panel
“At The Smith Family we support over 73,000 young people from low income families. As I meet these young people I see that their potential is universal but their opportunities are not. Businesses can play a win-win role in providing these young people with opportunities whilst also strengthening their organisations with a workforce that reflects and understands their customer base. The most effective businesses develop targeted initiatives to ensure these young people are fully engaged in their workplace.
“One of the least focused on elements to Diversity Equity and Inclusion is the socio economic background of employees and particularly for people who have experienced disadvantage. Young people commencing employment in businesses with these backgrounds may not have the same levels of workplace awareness as their peers, have different social networks, not had access to digital resources, and at times experience shame and stigmatisation. Business that want to make the most of their potential would do well to understand how these factors influence their team members.” – Doug Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, The Smith Family
“For years, corporate recruitment and talent development processes have not sufficiently reflected the impact of social class. Concurrently, the gaps created by social class differences have widened, driven primarily by increases to the cost of living and other socio economic factors. It is time for corporates to overhaul their approaches in the context of the current economic climate.
“Mentorship and representation have proven to be impactful but isolated levers in bridging the gap between social classes. They have the power to make individuals feel seen and to create a credible blueprint to improve social mobility. Changes to the ways of working mean that the traditional models of mentorship are disrupted. Organisations have a unique opportunity to come up with innovative approaches to solve this, in an increasingly digital world dominated by AI.” – Gwladys Ngo Tedga Partner, Risk Advisory, Ashurst
“Social class is a colonial design, it was never our creation. It wasn’t built for us, it was imposed to divide, exclude, and control. We’ve always known that dignity isn’t tied to wealth, and leadership doesn’t come from titles, it’s measured in how we care for Country, mob, and each other. If employers truly valued that, they’d stop measuring worth by resumes or titles and start listening to the voices that carry community, not just credentials. They’d redesign the workplace to honour lived experience, not just polished presentation.
“If we are serious about building equitable and inclusive workspaces, we have to talk about class. It’s not always as visible as race, gender or culture, but it shapes opportunity in profound ways. Employers who take the time to understand how class impacts education, career pathways, and even confidence at work can start to dismantle those barriers. When we do this, we don’t just create fairer workplaces, we unlock the full potential of people and send a message that everyone belongs, no matter where they start from.” – Travis Lovett, Former Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission
“Our research shows that social class is one of the most powerful indicators of inclusion in the workplace, but this isn’t yet widely acknowledged in Australian workplaces’ systems, processes, or policies.
“We hope our work will support organisations to understand that class isn’t just about income and economic capital, but to also recognise the social and cultural factors that contribute to employees’ experiences.” – Farhana Laffernis, Research Manager, Diversity Council Australia
Event details
When: Friday 22 August 2025, 11:30am – 2:30pm (AEST)
Where: Zinc at Fed Square, Melbourne
What’s included: Networking, canapés, two-course lunch, keynote speech by Her Excellency, and a panel discussion with expert speakers.
Join us for this significant event to celebrate diversity and inclusion at work. Find out more and register here.
Related resources
New research from Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has spotlighted a powerful but hidden barrier holding Australians back at work: their social class.
Early findings from DCA’s highly anticipated Class Inclusion at Work report (to be released in October) have revealed a persistent ‘class ceiling’ limiting career opportunities for workers who are marginalised by their social class (class marginalised). The data shows:
- only 44% of class marginalised workers have been offered career development opportunities in the past year, compared to 76% who are privileged by their social class (class privileged). This is supported by the fact that only 4% of leaders surveyed reported being class marginalised, while 40% reported class privilege
- despite this, just 24% of leaders recognise that social class makes a difference in Australia, compared with 33% of other workers
- this is particularly troubling given less than 1 in 4 (22%) of class marginalised workers feel valued and respected in their team, compared to 41% of class privileged workers.
However, the data also showed that workplace inclusion makes a big difference – class marginalised employees who work in inclusive organisations are more than twice as likely to have participated in career development opportunities.
Panel discussion to tackle social class at work
Following DCA’s 2025 Anna McPhee Oration, where the Governor-General of Australia will reflect on her first year in office, a panel of leading experts will set the scene for DCA’s upcoming Class Inclusion at Work report.
Panel speakers include:
- Travis Lovett (he/him) – Former Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission
- Gwladys Ngo Tedga (she/her) – Partner, Risk Advisory, Ashurst
- Doug Taylor (he/him) – Chief Executive Officer, The Smith Family
- Farhana Laffernis (she/her) – Research Manager, DCA.
“Five years on from DCA’s groundbreaking 2020 Class at Work report, these new findings prove that social class remains one of the most powerful, yet least acknowledged, barriers to inclusion at work,” Catherine Hunter, CEO of DCA said.
“This discussion will set the stage for an important conversation on why class matters at work, and why we must begin dismantling the systemic barriers that continue to hold people back.”
Join us for this significant event to celebrate diversity and inclusion at work. Find out more and register here.
Event details
When: Friday 22 August 2025, 11:30am – 2:30pm (AEST)
Where: Zinc at Fed Square, Melbourne
What’s included: Networking, canapés, two-course lunch, keynote speech by Her Excellency, and a panel discussion with expert speakers.
Panel speaker bios
Travis Lovett (he/him)
Former Deputy Chairperson and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission
Travis Lovett is a senior Aboriginal leader, advocate, and truth-teller dedicated to justice Treaty and cultural resurgence. With expertise spanning community engagement consulting and public speaking, he works to amplify first peoples voices, drive systemic change, and build a future grounded in truth and unity.
Gwladys Ngo Tedga (she/her)
Partner, Risk Advisory, Ashurst
Gwladys is a partner at Ashurst in its Consulting Division, where she leads risk modernisation. She regularly advises clients on risk uplifts and remediation in complex regulatory investigations. She is the founder of the APAC chapter of the Ashurst Social Inclusion and Mobility Network.
Doug Taylor (he/him)
Chief Executive Officer, The Smith Family
Doug Taylor was appointed CEO of The Smith Family in August 2021. He has built a 30-year career in the social sector with national and international experience in leading innovative social impact initiatives in partnership with the not-for-profit, government, philanthropic and corporate sectors.
Farhana Laffernis (she/her)
Research Manager, DCA
Farhana Laffernis is a Research Manager at Diversity Council Australia and co-lead of the upcoming Class Inclusion at Work report. A former diversity practitioner turned researcher, Farhana’s work has focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion in universities and workplaces. Farhana is also a Churchill Fellow, and a current PhD candidate in the UTS Business School. She is passionate about translating research into practice and ensuring this is accessible and impactful for workplaces.
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About DCA
Diversity Council Australia is the leading peak body for diversity and inclusion. As an independent not-for-profit and charitable organisation, we provide expert guidance to workplaces, policymakers and the broader community through research, tools, events, advocacy and education. Together, with our network of over 1,300 member organisations, we shape more equitable workplaces for a stronger economy and fairer society.
Media Contact
Ali Coulton
media@dca.org.au
Diversity Council Australia (DCA) is conducting new research on social class inclusion and is inviting workers across Australia to take part in a survey to support this important work.
The study will inform an evidence-based approach for practical recommendations on how employers can address class-based inclusion and exclusion at work. Findings will draw on lived experience combined with the latest research on the topic.
Workers from a range of social class backgrounds are encouraged to share their lived experiences of class inclusion or exclusion. We’d also like to hear from HR and D&I practitioners on their key workplace initiatives, demographics and more.
The research is set to be released in mid-2025 and will build on DCA’s 2020 Class at Work report, which made a compelling case for change.
The survey will be open until 15 September 2024. It takes a maximum of 15 minutes to complete and responses are anonymous and treated confidentially. We encourage you to take the chance to have your say and contribute to improving workplace inclusion in organisations across Australia. Participate in DCA’s social class survey.
Does social class make a difference in the land of the fair go?
DCA’s previous report on Class at Work revealed that employees from lower class backgrounds:
- are nearly twice as likely to experience discrimination and harassment at work
- are far more likely to be ignored in the workplace
- report less opportunity to progress in their role.
Conversely, when these employees are in an inclusive team (when compared to a non-inclusive team), they are:
- 17 times more likely to be in a team that works effectively
- 15 times more likely to be in a team that is innovative
- 10 times more likely to be in a team providing excellent customer service
- twice as likely to work extra hard.
Media contact
Ali Coulton: media@dca.org.au.
About DCA
Diversity Council Australia is the independent not-for-profit peak body leading diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We provide unique research, inspiring events and programs, curated resources and expert advice across all diversity dimensions to a community of over 1,300 member organisations. Our member organisations are estimated to employ over two million Australians, representing almost 20% of the workforce.
Land of the ‘fair go’? It’s a myth that is lulling us from the impact of reality
The assumption that Australia is the land of the ‘fair go’, a classless society of equals, is deeply ingrained in our national psyche. Yet, class is something we rarely talk about.
Our new Prime Minister sharing his experience of being raised by a single mum on a disability support pension in public housing is a remarkable acknowledgement of social class because of how little we acknowledge it in public.
It has given us pause to reflect on the myth that Australia is a classless society and, as I am sure that it was for many, served as a reminder to me of how social class had affected my own life.
It wasn’t until I became one of the first in my family to go to university and then began my career in the 1990’s that I realised opportunities were not equally afforded to everyone. I began to see that hard work and good grades were not enough.
Initially, I thought it was because I was a woman studying business that I was being held back, but it was more than that.
I was a working-class girl from the Shire, and I didn’t have the private school education, family connections or financial backing to help me get ahead like many of my peers.
As the daughter of post-war migrants who grew up in western Sydney and then Sydney’s south, I understand the impact of class on our experience of inclusion at work and across the nation.
How we compare to others based on wealth, income, education, and occupation determines our status, power or position – our social class – which ultimately shapes who we are and how we see the world.
It also creates a point of difference in how we identify ourselves and are identified by others.
In Australia, we might talk about cost-of-living pressure, stagnant wages growth and unaffordable housing, which are issues that have a disproportionately negative impact on people from lower classes, but we don’t talk explicitly about class.
We might discuss fairness, but we are less comfortable recognising that our class means we don’t all start from the same place, and it means that we don’t all have the same opportunities throughout our lives.
Before the pandemic, Diversity Council Australia researched social class and found that it dramatically influences inclusion and exclusion at work.
We found lower class workers were less likely than their middle and higher class colleagues to agree they were treated as valued and respected members of their team, felt accepted and included at work, or had equal access to opportunities.
More than four in every 10 lower class workers said they had experienced either discrimination or harassment or both at work between 2019 and 2020 and this was also gendered, with 45 per cent of lower class women reporting experiencing discrimination and or harassment compared to 39 per cent of lower class men.
There were also reflections on management, with lower class workers less likely to say their manager treated everyone fairly and behaved inclusively or sought out diverse perspectives.
On the flip side, our research revealed teams that are inclusive of all staff – whether lower, middle or higher class – are more effective and innovative and more likely to provide excellent customer service.
In short, social class has a significant impact on our experience at work.
But it can also be a barrier to accessing employment at all. Not to mention paid parental leave and childcare, some of the most significant hurdles to women’s economic equality.
That is why the Prime Minister sharing his experience is so significant because it enables us to have a conversation about class and consider how we create policies and systems that can remove some of the barriers to opportunity and success that stand in the way of people from a lower class.
Some have and will likely continue to deride his reflection on social class, most likely because they have never had to navigate a life shaped by disadvantage and underestimate how profoundly this can shape someone’s worldview.
Social class is as equally important as other diverse lived experiences, and by continuing to increase the diversity of parliamentarians, the culture within parliament will change and enable Australia as a nation to respond to challenges with greater efficiency, innovation and productivity that is truly equal.
You can’t rewrite your upbringing, but you can draw on lived experience to understand and empathise with the issues that impact our communities and better design solutions to address them.
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This piece was originally published by Women’s Agenda and SmartCompany.