Inclusion and diversity

The National Archives aims for a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We create positive workplace experiences for everyone by embracing the individual skills, perspectives and experiences our people bring to the workplace. In turn, we harness these features for high performance and improved service delivery.

We want our people to feel included, valued and respected, and to have equal access to opportunities, to support their full participation at work. We aim to retain and grow the diverse talent in our workforce and support our people to maintain a long and productive working career. We value an engaged, motivated and productive workforce.

Our Diversity Plan 2022-25 outlines a range of initiatives aimed at fostering equity among under-represented groups, such as Indigenous peoples and people with a disability. Our initiatives also support an ageing workforce.

We are committed to supporting the employment of people with disability and apply the RecruitAbility Scheme to all our vacancies (including APS and SES levels).

The National Archives is a signatory to the Tandanya Declaration and we have a Reconciliation Action Plan in place. We support Identified and Affirmative Measures actions, and have a small number of these positions in our agency. Contact us for more information.

Our corporate diversity partnerships

To demonstrate our organisation's commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace, National Archives are proud members of the Australian Network on Disability, Diversity Council Australia and Pride in Diversity.

These organisations provide us with access to specialist knowledge on matters relating to workplace inclusion and diversity. This helps shape our inclusion policies and strategies and ensures our programs and services support the diverse needs of our workforce.

Logos for Australian Network on Disability; Diversity Council Australia; Pride in Diversity Member 2023.

Breastfeeding friendly workplace

Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace logo.

The National Archives now meets 'Best Practice' for current Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Australia standards. Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) and the BFW team are proud to call the National Archives one of its most dedicated accredited Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces.

The Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation (BFW) is awarded by the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) to organisations that provide three simple criteria to support their breastfeeding employees in the workforce so they can meet both their work and family commitments:

  • Space: a dedicated or shared space so that employees can comfortably breastfeed and/or express breastmilk in private.

  • Time: a breastfeeding policy/statement, which provides lactation breaks so women may breastfeed or express breastmilk during working hours.

  • Support: a comprehensive communication plan to ensure that information regarding breastfeeding support reaches all stakeholders and normalises breastfeeding in your work environment.