Australian Human Rights Commission Respect at Uni Interim Report December 2024 (ii) Workplaces Universities are significant employers, with approximately 130,000 people employed as academic and professional staff. 17 Workplaces are vital settings for addressing racism, requiring policy reform, training, reporting mechanisms and strategies to increase First Nations and other negatively racialised senior leadership opportunities. For workplaces, the Framework recommends: 18. All employers ensure that senior leadership have responsibility for organisational change on intersecting forms of discrimination, including racism, and that it is not solely placed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other negatively racialised employees. 19. Medium and large employers in all sectors develop internal workplace anti-racism strategies. Strategies must include measures for preventing and responding to racism in the workplace, as an interim measure until recommendation ten of the Framework (which calls for the RDA to be amended to include a positive duty to eliminate racial discrimination) is implemented. 20. Employers, including governments, commit to the development and implementation of ongoing, mandatory workplace anti-racism training, resources and educational materials with anti-racism organisations or practitioners. 21. Medium and large employers in all sectors develop an internal cultural safety framework for First Nations staff. This should complement their internal anti-racism strategies for all staff including non-Indigenous staff who experience racism. 22. Medium and large employers in all sectors develop, implement, monitor and evaluate strategies for hiring, promotion and retention of staff identifying as First Nations and from other negatively racialised backgrounds to increase representation in the workforce, particularly in leadership and senior roles. 18 (iii) Legal protections and reforms Universities are subject to the RDA which is an important source of protection for students and staff. However, Framework consultations highlighted the need to address systemic and structural racism in Australia beyond the scope of current 25