Aboriginal staff at Australia’s biggest university can now take three days of paid ‘colonial load leave’ each year to help them cope with the ongoing impacts of colonisation.
Melbourne‘s Monash University introduced the new leave entitlement last month, designed to recognise the unique responsibilities of Indigenous staff to the institution.
It described the move as a necessary step towards justice and systemic truth-telling to help First Nations staff deal with ‘an often invisible workload that is deeply impactful.’
All fixed-term and ongoing Indigenous staff at Monash are entitled to three days of colonial load leave per year, with no supporting documentation required when applying.
The new entitlement is on top of five paid and 10 unpaid ‘ceremonial leave’ days Indigenous staff can access to prepare for or attend ‘community organisation business, National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee week functions or other relevant cultural duties and events’.
It aligns with recommendations handed down by the Yoorrook Justice Commission and Universities Australia’s Indigenous Strategy.
Both groups called on institutions to formally acknowledge the colonial load experienced by Indigenous staff and students.
It also ensures readiness for Australia’s first-ever Treaty recently adopted by the Victorian state government.
Monash University has introduced colonial leave for Indigenous staff
The new entitlement is in addition to the five paid and 10 unpaid ‘ceremonial leave’ days for Indigenous staff at Monash
‘At Monash, we welcome and encourage courageous conversations that strive for a brighter future for First Nations peoples, communities, and cultures in Victoria, Australia, and globally,’ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) and Senior Vice-President, Professor Tristan Kennedy said in a statement.
‘This is what systemic change looks like. And it begins with recognition, respect, and action.’
The new leave entitlement specifically acknowledged the additional workplace pressures placed on Indigenous staff.
‘These responsibilities include education, advocacy, and navigating systems that were not designed with Indigenous voices at the table,’ Professor Kennedy said.
‘This leave also recognises the unique and ongoing contributions of Indigenous colleagues whose work significantly benefits the university.’
Monash is Australia’s biggest university with more than 60,000 students.
It is not the first Australian tertiary institution to offer cultural or colonial leave for Indigenous staff.
At Murdoch University in Perth, Indigenous staff are eligible for up to $8,994 annually for ‘contributing cultural knowledge beyond their job scope, plus provisions for cultural leave and language allowance’.
South of Sydney, University of Wollongong has also introduced a specific Indigenous cultural and colonial allowance.