John Buchanan completed a Grad Dip in Economics at the Australian National University. He was an ANU Students Association Education Committee member in 1980-1984; ANU Law Faculty Student Representative from 1982-1984; and Australian Union of Students Executive member in 1984. Buchanan worked as a researcher for the trade union movement and in the public service before becoming Director of Policy Research in the Commonwealth Department of Industrial Relations. He is Director of the Workplace Research Centre based at the University of Sydney Business School.