Respectful and ethical workplaces
Employees and leaders in the Australian Public Service are required to comply with the APS Values and Code of Conduct. In the APS workplace, this includes treating everyone with respect and courtesy, and behaving with honesty and integrity.
Senior leaders in the APS have an additional responsibility to lead by example in upholding and promoting high standards of ethical behaviour and personal conduct.
The 2024 APS Employee Census reports that the perceived rate of harassment and bullying for the APS remained stable at 10.5% (compared with 10.4% in 2023). More information on perceived rates of harassment and bullying in individual agencies is in the APS agency benchmarking section of this report.
In the 2024 APS Agency Survey, APS agencies reported formal investigations into 81 employees for conduct categorised as corrupt in 2023–24. Of these, 74 employees were found to have breached the APS Code of Conduct. More information on breaches is available in Appendix 2 of this report.
The Australian Public Service Commission promotes and upholds high standards of integrity in the APS through a broad range of programs, services and functions. This includes:
- delivering integrity training courses through the APS Academy
- providing guidance and resources for agencies and APS employees to support public servants to embody and model integrity
- providing matter-specific advice through the Ethics Advisory Service and Employment Policy Advisory Service
- exercising legislative powers to inquire into the conduct of agency heads and former agency heads, and APS employees or former employees, where referred
- participating in and/or leading communities of practice to share information and resources and to build integrity capability across the service
- strengthening integrity in recruitment practices by providing rules and guidance on applying the APS Employment Principles and providing an APS Commissioner’s representative on Senior Executive Service selection panels
- providing induction and educational materials to ensure incoming secretaries and agency heads are aware of their personal integrity obligations.
Across the APS, significant initiatives are underway to strengthen integrity at all levels, implementing recommendations from Louder Than Words: An APS Integrity Action Plan.
See also in this report
Working in the APS – Sex Discrimination Act changes
Capability and leadership – SES Performance Leadership Framework
Integrity – Louder Than Words: An APS Integrity Action Plan