The Centre for Decent Work & Industry directly addresses current and future challenges to decent work and responsible industry. The Centre’s transdisciplinary research examines equitable access to work, experiences of workers and systems of governance in organisations and industry to advance social and economic inclusion and equality for the benefit of individual workers, communities, organisations, and employers, and for Australia’s social and economic wellbeing.

Our inter-disciplinary research examines the socioeconomic, cultural and gender inequalities of work. We work with industry, government and third sector partners to understand the lived experiences of paid, unpaid and waged workers and we consider the broader role of responsibility, accountability and sustainability at industry level.

Website

https://research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-decent-work-and-industry/

Organisation type

University Research Centre

Number of research staff

Up to 20 research staff

Address

School of Management, Z Block, level 9, Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane City QLD 4000

Strengths and capabilities

• Evaluating policy and practice with organisations
• Providing government policy advice and shaping policy development
• Designing and conducting surveys and interviews
• Mapping digital platform work and the gig economy
• Advice on issues related to gender equity and sexual harassment in the workplace
• Identification of skills gaps and drivers of skills gaps
• Change management approaches
• Research on paid and unpaid work
• Research on non-standard and precarious work
• Advice on sustainable industry practices
• Analysis and development of organisational tools
• Co-designed research solutions
• Collaborative project work
• Commissioned research reports
• Grant partnerships and submissions

Lead researchers

• A/Prof Penny Williams, ARC Discovery Early Career Research recipient (2023-2026); “Automated people management: When algorithms manage employees”.
• Prof Paula McDonald, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research and Fellow of The Academy of Social Sciences.
• Prof Robyn Mayes, invited member of the Expert Advisory Group QLD Government, Special Commissioner on Equity and Diversity. A/Prof Bree Hurst, Chief Investigator on Fight Food Waste CRC project which grows the capacity to scale-up food transformation pathways.
• A/Prof Carol Hon, ARC Discovery Early Career Research recipient; “Improving mental health and safety in the construction industry”.

Achievements of the centre

• ARC Linkage grant ‘Achieving gender equality in STEMM hospital and health service research’ to address gender inequality in STEMM.
• Disability at work: A program that explores the intersections of disability and gender in careers and leadership at work.
• Two leading National Surveys to reveal participation in the gig economy in Australia  ‘Digital Platform Work in Australia’.
• International tax in the digital age. A project that investigates tax avoidance by multinational enterprises in the 21^st Century.
• CALD Communities project: Understanding and supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities in disasters for improved resilience outcomes.

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Social sciences