Perceptions of wellbeing policies and support
Wellbeing of employees has long been a focus of the Australian Public Service. As employers, APS agencies have obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Together with these obligations is an acknowledgement that high performance of employees and organisations cannot be sustained without adequate levels of employee wellbeing.
The APS Employee Census Wellbeing Policies and Support Index measures both the practical and cultural elements that support a sustainable and healthy working environment.
APS Employee Census questions that contribute to the Wellbeing Policies and Support Index are:
- I am satisfied with the policies/practices in place to help me manage my health and wellbeing.
- My agency does a good job of communicating what it can offer me in terms of health and wellbeing.
- My agency does a good job of promoting health and wellbeing.
- I think my agency cares about my health and wellbeing.
- I believe my immediate supervisor cares about my health and wellbeing.
Figures AB 40 to AB 45 and tables AB 40 to AB 45 report on Wellbeing Policies and Support Index scores for agencies, by agency size, for APS respondents.
Note: Only index scores for APS agencies are presented. APS Employee Census results for entities that engage staff under the Public Service Act 1999 but are not APS agencies under the Act are available on the entity’s website.
Figure AB 40: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index by agency size
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 40: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index by agency size
Agency size | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
2023 | 2024 | |
Overall APS | 68 | 70 |
Extra-large (10,000+ employees) | 67 | 69 |
Large (1,001 to 10,000 employees) | 70 | 71 |
Medium (251 to 1,000 employees) | 69 | 71 |
Small (101 to 250 employees) | 69 | 71 |
Extra-small (20 to 100 employees) | 72 | 73 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 41: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 41: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)
Agency | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | |
Extra-large agencies – overall | 67 | 69 |
Australian Taxation Office | 71 | 73 |
Defence | 66 | 68 |
Services Australia | 65 | 68 |
Home Affairs | 65 | 66 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 42: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 42: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)
Agency | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | |
Large agencies – overall | 70 | 71 |
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | 76 | 76 |
Australian Bureau of Statistics | 74 | 76 |
National Disability Insurance Agency | 73 | 75 |
Industry, Science and Resources | 71 | 72 |
Australian Trade and Investment Commission | 72 | 72 |
Attorney-General's | 73 | 72 |
Prime Minister and Cabinet | 73 | 72 |
Social Services | 71 | 72 |
Health and Aged Care | 71 | 72 |
Treasury | 70 | 71 |
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts | 71 | 71 |
Finance | 69 | 70 |
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | 66 | 70 |
Employment and Workplace Relations | 69 | 70 |
Education | 68 | 70 |
Bureau of Meteorology | 67 | 69 |
National Indigenous Australians Agency | 67 | 68 |
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | 67 | 68 |
Veterans' Affairs | 68 | 67 |
Federal Court of Australia | 62 | 64 |
Foreign Affairs and Trade | 62 | 63 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 43: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Australian Submarine Agency was not an APS agency in 2023. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Sport Integrity Australia were small agencies in 2023.
Table AB 43: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for medium (251 to 1,000 employees)
Agency | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | |
Medium agencies – overall | 69 | 71 |
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare | 81 | 80 |
Comcare | 78 | 78 |
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre | 74 | 76 |
Digital Transformation Agency | 73 | 75 |
Clean Energy Regulator | 72 | 75 |
Fair Work Ombudsman | 73 | 75 |
Future Fund Management Agency | 74 | 74 |
Murray-Darling Basin Authority | 75 | 74 |
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission | 67 | 74 |
Australian Public Service Commission | 71 | 73 |
Australian Communications and Media Authority | 70 | 71 |
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission | 61 | 71 |
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority | 70 | 71 |
Fair Work Commission | 69 | 70 |
National Library of Australia | 67 | 70 |
Australian Digital Health Agency | 74 | 70 |
Australian Electoral Commission | 67 | 70 |
Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman | 69 | 69 |
Australian National Audit Office | 69 | 69 |
Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions | 61 | 68 |
National Archives of Australia | 66 | 67 |
Aboriginal Hostels Limited | 70 | 67 |
Defence Housing Australia | 68 | 67 |
Australian Financial Security Authority | 73 | 66 |
Sport Integrity Australia | 67 | 65 |
Administrative Appeals Tribunal | 66 | 65 |
Australian War Memorial | 62 | 65 |
National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission | 55 | 63 |
National Emergency Management Agency | 60 | 63 |
Australian Submarine Agency | 62 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Australian Submarine Agency was not an APS agency in 2023. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Sport Integrity Australia were small agencies in 2023.
Figure AB 44: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Anti-Corruption Commission was not an APS agency in 2023. The Australian Institute of Family Studies was an extra-small agency in 2023.
Table AB 44: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)
Agency | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | |
Small agencies – overall | 69 | 71 |
Office of Parliamentary Counsel | 79 | 80 |
Office of the Special Investigator | 83 | 80 |
Australian Transport Safety Bureau | 72 | 77 |
Australian Fisheries Management Authority | 77 | 76 |
Australian Institute of Family Studies | 71 | 76 |
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency | 75 | 75 |
Safe Work Australia | 79 | 74 |
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority | 64 | 74 |
National Anti-Corruption Commission | 73 | |
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner | 73 | 72 |
Australian Research Council | 72 | 72 |
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency | 63 | 72 |
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia | 66 | 71 |
Productivity Commission | 70 | 71 |
Australian Skills Quality Authority | 67 | 71 |
Food Standards Australia New Zealand | 64 | 69 |
National Museum of Australia | 67 | 69 |
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies | 65 | 68 |
National Health and Medical Research Council | 70 | 67 |
National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority | 65 | 66 |
Australian Human Rights Commission | 65 | 66 |
Australian National Maritime Museum | 63 | 63 |
Torres Strait Regional Authority | 66 | 61 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Anti-Corruption Commission was not an APS agency in 2023. The Australian Institute of Family Studies was an extra-small agency in 2023.
Figure AB 45: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service were not APS agencies in 2023. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency did not have reportable results in 2023.
Table AB 45: Wellbeing Policies and Support Index for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)
Agency | Wellbeing Policies and Support Index score | |
---|---|---|
2023 | 2024 | |
Extra-small agencies – overall | 72 | 73 |
National Health Funding Body | 85 | 85 |
Organ and Tissue Authority | 87 | 83 |
Climate Change Authority | 73 | 82 |
Professional Services Review | 84 | 79 |
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority | 76 | 79 |
Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security | 68 | 78 |
Workplace Gender Equality Agency | 70 | 77 |
Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care | 77 | |
Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman | 75 | 73 |
National Blood Authority | 66 | 73 |
National Capital Authority | 76 | 73 |
Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency | 72 | |
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research | 75 | 72 |
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House | 74 | 71 |
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care | 71 | 70 |
National Portrait Gallery | 70 | 70 |
Parliamentary Workplace Support Service | 70 | |
Cancer Australia | 64 | 69 |
National Mental Health Commission | 44 | 63 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service were not APS agencies in 2023. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency did not have reportable results in 2023.