2022 Australian public service employee census

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is pleased to release our agency results from the 2022 APS Employee Census.

Each year, all APS employees are invited to take part in the Australian Public Sector (APS) Employee Census. The Employee Census collects information on important workplace attributes such as job satisfaction, engagement, well-being and leadership. The 2022 Employee Census took place between May to June 2022.

In 2022, 83% of ABS employees chose to share their views by participating in the Employee Census. ABS' 2022 results were very positive, showing improvement from 2021 across a number of areas and comparing very favourably with agencies across the APS. 83% of ABS employees who responded to the Employee Census said they would recommend ABS as a good place to work.

ABS staff have a strong emotional connection and commitment to working at the ABS, with an overall engagement score of 77% (APS average: 73%). We support and care about our staff, and this is reflected in our overall well-being support score of  75% (APS average: 68%). Our Employee Census results reflect our commitment to being an employer of choice, through our focus on purpose, people, place and partnerships as motivators for our employees.

Purpose – inform Australia’s important decisions:

95% "understand how my role contributes to achieving an outcome for the Australian public" (APS average: 92%).

91% "believe strongly in the purpose and objectives of my agency" (APS average: 84%).

People – we are open, diverse, passionate and dedicated:

92% are "happy to go the 'extra mile' at work when required" (APS average: 91%).

91% believe "my immediate supervisor cares about my health and well-being" (APS average: 86%).

89% "feel committed to my agency's goals" (APS average 83%).

88% believe "my agency supports and actively promotes an inclusive workplace culture" (APS average: 79%).

Place – we build careers in a modern flexible workplace:

93% are "confident that if I requested a flexible work arrangement, my request would be given reasonable consideration" (APS average: 78%).

91% are "satisfied with their non-monetary employment conditions (e.g. leave, flexible work arrangements, other benefits)" (APS average: 76%).

Partnerships – we collaborate:

92% believe "The people in my workgroup cooperate to get the job done" (APS average: 89%).

87% believe "My supervisor invites a range of views, including those different to their own" (APS average: 82%).

*Numbers have been rounded to the nearest percentage.

The ABS uses the results from each year’s Employee Census to inform our people strategies and policies, and to track progress against workforce initiatives. We discuss results with employees to identify their highest priorities for action. Teams are supported to implement actions locally, and we have a number of enterprise-wide people related initiatives underway to help us continuously improve our workplace.

More information on the APS Employee Census can be found on the Australian Public Service Commission’s website: 
2022 APS Employee Census | Australian Public Service Commission (apsc.gov.au)