Appendix 2ꟷState of the Service additional data

This appendix presents additional data to support content in this report.

Code of Conduct

In the 2024 Australian Public Service Agency Survey, agencies reported that 647 employees were the subject of an investigation into a suspected breach of the APS Code of Conduct that was finalised in 2023–24. Of these, 555 employees were found to have breached the APS Code of Conduct.

Table A 19 presents the number of investigations conducted by agencies into suspected breaches of individual elements of the APS Code of Conduct and the number of breach findings in 2023–24. One employee can be investigated for multiple elements of the APS Code of Conduct.

Table A 19: Number of investigations into and breaches against individual elements of the APS Code of Conduct (2023–24)

Element of Code of Conduct	Investigations	Breaches
Behave honestly and with integrity in connection with APS employment, s 13(1)	343	297
Act with care and diligence in connection with APS employment, s 13(2)	96	69
When acting in connection with APS employment, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment, s 13(3)	96	66
When acting in connection with APS employment comply with all applicable Australian laws, s 13(4)	27	16
Comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by someone in the employee’s Agency who has authority to give the direction, s 13(5)	84	65
Maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings that the employee has with any Minister or Minister’s member of staff, s 13(6)	0	0
Take reasonable steps to avoid any conflict of interest (real or apparent), and disclose details of any material personal interest of the employee, in connection with the employee’s APS employment, s 13(7)	36	29
Use Commonwealth resources in a proper manner and for a proper purpose, s 13(8)	65	50
Not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes in connection with the employee’s APS employment, s 13(9)	44	38
Not make improper use of: inside information, or the employee’s duties, status, power or authority, in order to: a) gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee or any other person; or b) cause, or seek to cause, a detriment to the employee’s Agency, the Commonwealth or any other person, s 13(10)	35	21
At all times behave in a way that upholds the APS Values and APS Employment Principles, and the integrity and good reputation of the employee’s Agency and the APS, s 13(11)	535	472
While on duty overseas, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of Australia, s 13(12)	2	1
Comply with any other conduct requirement that is prescribed by the regulations, s 13(13)	6	3
Total number of elements of the APS Code of Conduct that were investigated and breached	1,369	1,127

Source: 2024 APS Agency Survey
Note: As individual employees can be investigated and found in breach of multiple elements of the APS Code of Conduct, the reported totals exceed the total number of individual employees investigated (647 employees) and found in breach (555 employees).

Table A 20 presents the types of reports which led to finalised APS Code of Conduct investigations (2023-24).

Table A 20: Reports leading to finalised APS Code of Conduct investigations (2023–24)

Type of report	Number of reports
A report generated by a compliance/monitoring system (e.g. audit)	378
A report made to a central conduct or ethics unit or nominated person in a human resources area	195
A report made to an email reporting address	33
A report made to a fraud prevention and control unit or hotline	19
A Public Interest Disclosure	16
A report made to an employee advice or counselling unit	2
A report made to another hotline	0
Other	21
Total number of reports leading to finalised APS Code of Conduct investigations	664

Source: 2024 APS Agency Survey
Note: As individual employees may have been reported through multiple avenues, the reported total exceeds the total number of individual employees investigated (647 employees).

Table A 21 presents the outcomes for the 647 APS employees who were investigated for suspected breaches of the APS Code of Conduct during 2023–24.

Table A 21: Outcome of investigations into suspected breaches of the APS Code of Conduct (2023–24)

Outcome	Number of employees
Breach found and sanction applied	356
Breach found but no sanction applied - other reason	109
Breach found but no sanction applied - employee resigned prior to sanction decision	90
No breach found (for any element of the Code)	68
Investigation discontinued - employee resigned	13
Investigation discontinued - other reason	11
Total number of outcomes of finalised APS Code of Conduct investigations	647

Source: 2024 APS Agency Survey

Table A 22 presents the sanctions applied to 356 APS employees found to have breached the APS Code of Conduct during 2023–24.

Table A 22: Sanctions imposed for breaches of the APS Code of Conduct (2023–24)

Sanction	Number of sanctions
Reprimand	264
Deductions from salary by way of a fine	167
Reduction in salary	70
Termination of employment	61
Re-assignment of duties	10
Reduction in classification	9
Total sanctions imposed	581

Source: 2024 APS Agency Survey
Note: As individual employees may have received more than one sanction, the reported total exceeds the total number of employees who received sanctions (356 employees). 

In the 2024 APS Employee Census, 10.5% of respondents indicated they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their workplace in the 12 months preceding the APS Employee Census.

Table A 23 presents the types of behaviour perceived by respondents.

Table A 23: Type of harassment or bullying perceived by respondents

Type of behaviour	% of those who indicated they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their workplace in the previous 12 months preceding the 2024 APS Employee Census
Interference with work tasks (e.g. withholding needed information, undermining or sabotage)	44.2
Verbal abuse (e.g. offensive language, derogatory remarks, shouting or screaming)	41.7
Inappropriate and unfair application of work policies or rules (e.g. performance management, access to leave, access to learning and development)	29.2
Deliberate exclusion from work-related activities	27.7
Cyberbullying (e.g. harassment via IT, or the spreading of gossip/materials intended to defame or humiliate)	8.8
Sexual harassment	4.1
Interference with your personal property or work equipment	4.0
Physical behaviour	3.9
'Initiations' or pranks	2.6
Other	17.5

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their current workplace. As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%. 

Table A 24 presents the perceived source of the harassment or bullying indicated by respondents in 2024.

Table A 24: Perceived source of harassment or bullying

Perceived source	% of those who indicated they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their workplace in the previous 12 months preceding the 2024 APS Employee Census
Co-worker	39.6
Someone more senior (other than your supervisor)	31.0
A previous supervisor	24.7
Your current supervisor	17.5
Someone more junior than you	9.4
Client, customer or stakeholder	4.7
Contractor	2.3
Representative of another APS agency	0.9
Consultant / service provider	0.9
Minister or ministerial adviser	0.3
Unknown	1.7

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their current workplace. As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%. 

Table A 25 presents the reporting behaviour of respondents who had perceived harassment or bullying in their workplace in the 12 months preceding the APS Employee Census.

Table A 25: Reporting behaviour of harassment or bullying

Reporting behaviour	% who perceived harassment or bullying in their workplace during the previous 12 months preceding the 2024 APS Employee Census
I reported the behaviour in accordance with my agency’s policies and procedures	36.0
It was reported by someone else	7.3
I did not report the behaviour	56.7

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their current workplace.

Table A 26 presents the reasons for not reporting harassment or bullying given by respondents who had perceived harassment or bullying in their workplace in the 12 months preceding the APS Employee Census and who did not report the behaviour.

Table A 26: Reasons for not reporting harassment or bullying

Reason	% who perceived harassment or bullying in their workplace during the 12 months preceding the 2024 APS Employee Census and did not report the behaviour
I feared possible retaliation or reprisals	47.1
I did not think action would be taken	45.8
I did not want to upset relationships in the workplace	40.5
It could affect my career	36.7
I did not think it was worth the hassle of going through the reporting process	33.4
Managers accepted the behaviour	29.4
I did not think the harassment or bullying was serious enough	16.7
I did not have enough evidence	15.8
The matter was resolved informally	9.0
I did not know how to report it	5.5
Other	10.2

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they had been subjected to harassment or bullying in their current workplace and did not report the behaviour. As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%.

Table A 27 presents the number of recorded complaints against each type of harassment and bullying behaviour made by APS employees within APS agencies during 2023–24.

Table A 27: Complaints against each type of harassment and bullying behaviour made to agencies (2023–24)

Type of behaviour	Number
Verbal abuse (e.g. offensive language, derogatory remarks, shouting or screaming)	582
Inappropriate and unfair application of work policies or rules (e.g. performance management, access to leave, access to learning and development)	305
Sexual harassment	157
Interference with work tasks (i.e. withholding needed information, undermining or sabotage)	96
Cyberbullying (e.g. harassment via IT, or the spreading of gossip/materials intended to defame/humiliate)	71
Physical behaviour	47
Interference with personal property or work equipment	9
Initiations or pranks	2
Other	749
Total number of individual harassment and bullying behaviours that were reported	2,018

Source: 2024 APS Agency Survey
Note: Individual employees may have reported a complaint about multiple types of harassment and bullying behaviour.

Table A 28 presents the proportion of respondents who, during the previous 12 months, reported they had witnessed another APS employee within their agency engaging in behaviour they considered may be serious enough to be viewed as corruption.

Table A 28: APS employee perceptions of corruption

Potential corruption witnessed	%
Yes	3.1
No	90.8
Not sure	3.8
Would prefer not to answer	2.3

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Of those who reported witnessing potential corruption, the types of corruption are presented in Table A 29.

Table A 29: Type of potential corruption witnessed

Type of potential corruption witnessed	% who had witnessed potential corruption
Cronyism-preferential treatment of friends, such as appointing them to positions without proper regard to merit	61.0
Nepotism-preferential treatment of family members, such as appointing them to positions without proper regard to merit	23.6
Acting (or failing to act) in the presence of an undisclosed conflict of interest	20.2
Green-lighting	11.9
Fraud, forgery or embezzlement	11.7
Theft or misappropriation of official assets	6.6
Unlawful disclosure of government information	4.5
Perverting the course of justice	3.1
Bribery, domestic and foreign—obtaining, offering or soliciting secret commissions, kickbacks or gratuities	1.9
Blackmail	1.4
Insider trading	1.3
Colluding, conspiring with, or harbouring criminals	1.0
Other	12.8

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they witnessed potential corruption. As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%.

In the 2024 APS Employee Census, 10.0% of respondents indicated they had been subjected to discrimination during the 12 months preceding the APS Employee Census and in the course of their employment. Table A 30 presents the types of discrimination perceived by respondents.

Table A 30: Type of discrimination perceived by respondents

Category	% of those who indicated they had been subjected to discrimination during the 12 months preceding the 2024 APS Employee Census and in the course of their employment
Gender	29.8
Age	25.8
Race	23.2
Caring responsibilities	18.3
Disability (e.g. loss of hearing or sight, incomplete use of limbs, or mental health issues)	14.3
Religion	5.9
LGBTIQA+	4.9
Identification as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person	3.6
Other	20.6

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Percentages are based on respondents who said they had perceived discrimination during the 12 months preceding the APS Employee Census and in the course of their employment. As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%.

Ethics Advisory Service

The APSC Ethics Advisory Service provides information, policy advice and guidance to APS employees and leaders on the application of the APS Values and the Code of Conduct, promoting ethical decision-making across the public service. In 2023–24, the Ethics Advisory Service received 491 enquiries – 207 from individual APS employees and 188 from agency human resources areas and managers. The remaining 96 enquiries were from former employees, were anonymous or out of scope.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employees

Table A 31 presents the proportion of respondents identifying as culturally and linguistically diverse.

Table A 31: Proportion of employees who identified as culturally and linguistically diverse

Do you identify as culturally and linguistically diverse?	%
Yes	25.7
No	74.3

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Table A 32 presents the proportion of respondents who identify with a specific cultural background.

Table A 32: Proportion of employees who identified with a specific cultural background

How would you describe your cultural background?	%
Australian (excluding Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)	67.0
Anglo-European	12.4
South-East Asian	11.2
Southern and Eastern European	5.3
Southern and Central Asian	4.1
Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	3.4
North-East Asian	2.9
North-West European (excluding Anglo-European)	2.3
North African and Middle Eastern	1.4
New Zealander (excluding Maori)	1.2
Maori, Melanesian, Papuan, Micronesian, and Polynesian	1.1
Sub-Saharan African	1.1
South and Central American and Caribbean Islander	1.0
North American	0.7

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: Respondents could select more than one cultural background. 

APS employees with disability

Table A 33 presents the proportion of respondents with an ongoing disability.

Table A 33: Proportion of respondents with an ongoing disability

Do you have an ongoing disability?	%
Yes	11.7
No	88.3

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Table A 34 presents the proportion of respondents with an ongoing disability who have shared that information to their agency’s human resource information system.

Table A 34: Respondents with an ongoing disability who have shared that information to their agency’s human resources information system

Have you shared your ongoing disability to your agency’s human resources information system?	% of those with an ongoing disability
Yes	45.7
No	34.5
Not sure	19.9

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Table A 35 presents the factors that contribute to those with an ongoing disability not sharing that they have an ongoing disability to their agency’s human resource information system.

Table A 35: Factors that contribute to respondents with an ongoing disability not sharing that they have an ongoing disability to their agency’s human resources information system

Have any of the following contributed to your decision to not share this information?	% of those with an ongoing disability who have not shared their ongoing disability to their agency’s human resources information system
I do not see any reason for or benefit in sharing this information with my agency	39.2
I do not require any adjustments to be made to perform my role	37.4
I am concerned about being discriminated against	34.7
It is private information I do not wish to share	28.0
I have never been asked for this information	23.5
My disability is not relevant to my employment	23.3
I am unsure how to update this information	12.4
Other reason	8.5

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census
Note: As respondents could select more than one option, total percentages may exceed 100%. 

Understanding neurodiversity in the APS

Table A 36 presents the proportion of respondents who considered themselves to be neurodivergent.

Table A 36: Proportion of employees who considered themselves to be neurodivergent

Do you consider yourself to be neurodivergent?	%
Yes	8.8
No	72.4
Maybe	9.3
I am unsure what neurodivergent means	9.5

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Supporting health and wellbeing

Table A 37 presents perceptions held by APS Employee Census respondents in 2024.

Table A 37: Employee perceptions of wellbeing support

Statement	Level of agreement	%
I am satisfied with the policies/practices in place to help me manage my health and wellbeing	Agree	68
	Neither agree nor disagree	22
	Disagree	11
My agency does a good job of communicating what it can offer me in terms of health and wellbeing	Agree	66
	Neither agree nor disagree	22
	Disagree	12
My agency does a good job of promoting health and wellbeing	Agree	66
	Neither agree nor disagree	22
	Disagree	12
I think my agency cares about my health and wellbeing	Agree	64
	Neither agree nor disagree	22
	Disagree	14
I believe my immediate supervisor cares about my health and wellbeing	Agree	86
	Neither agree nor disagree	9
	Disagree	5

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census

Service to Australians

Table A 38 presents perceptions held by APS Employee Census respondents in 2024.

Table A 38: Employee perceptions related to role and purpose

Statement		%
I understand how my role contributes to achieving an outcome for the Australian public	Agree	93
	Neither agree nor disagree	5
	Disagree	2
I believe strongly in the purpose and objectives of the APS	Agree	87
	Neither agree nor disagree	12
	Disagree	2

Source: 2024 APS Employee Census