She recounts being overlooked for advancement opportunities as an Aboriginal woman, with senior staff preferring she remain in the classroom due to her excellent rapport with Aboriginal students.

The experience left her feeling shattered, and her colleagues, who witnessed the situation, failed to defend her.

“Many expect racism to manifest as overt, dramatic events,” she explained. “However, often it’s the persistent, subtle instances that we endure throughout our careers that define the experience.”

Workplace racism could take the form of a lack of recognition of skills for some migrants or forcing some groups to undertake English proficiency tests, Sivaraman said.

“An inquiry into racism at work has the potential to … change workers’ lives and workplaces for the better,” Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O’Neil said.