A nationwide survey has revealed what many CPSU NSW members in universities have long known: the Australian tertiary education sector is blighted with toxic workplaces. And one university in NSW was found to be the nation’s worst in one criterion.

The Australian Universities Census on Staff Wellbeing, released this month by Adelaide University’s ARC‑funded Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) Global Observatory, paints an ugly picture: chronic stress, organisational instability and declining staff wellbeing across the country.

The census, drawing responses from more than 11,000 university personnel across 42 institutions, found that more than 80 per cent of staff reported high or very high levels of emotional exhaustion, while 76 per cent reported risky levels of psychosocial safety climate (PSC), which is a measure significantly worse than the general Australian workforce.

The University of Newcastle (pictured) was found to be the country’s worst for psychological safety risk. It recorded the highest percentage of respondents in the high to very high psychosocial risk category at 92 per cent.

In an interview with the Newcastle Herald, the university said the timing of the survey, during uncertainty over job cuts, skewed the results.

UNSW was ranked among the top three performers nationally on psychosocial safety climate benchmarks, thanks to comparatively stronger organisational systems for managing staff wellbeing. 

The report highlights concerning workplace perceptions, with 73 per cent of university staff disagreeing that risks to their psychological health are actively monitored by senior management. 

Emotional exhaustion scores were exceptionally high, with more than four in five staff experiencing high or very high burnout.

Lead researcher in the survey, Professor Maureen Dollard, wrote the results reveal a sector “under immense strain”.

“For NSW institutions navigating a competitive, resource‑constrained environment, the census serves as both a warning and an opportunity,” said CPSU NSW Workplace Health and Safety Officer Marko Petrovic. “If universities take action on staff wellbeing, they will be at the forefront of the sector’s recovery.”

General Secretary Stewart Little said the results demonstrate the importance of being part of a union you can turn to in times of stress.

“Talk to the CPSU NSW about unsafe systems of work, failure to investigate psychological hazards and risks or a lack of consultation on restructures and organisational change,” he said. “All these can contribute to an unsafe workplace.”