The 2025 People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) found NSW’s public services are being held together by committed employees who are struggling with rising burnout, and departments are struggling to keep pace with the demands placed upon them.

“The survey is no lightweight box-ticking exercise,” said PSA CPSU NSW General Secretary Stewart Little. “With a 52 per cent response rate, the survey offers a reliable snapshot of the public service’s mood, and the public servants who do engage represent a genuine voice.

“What members report to the union about the mood of workplaces is more often than not reflected in the survey results.”

As in previous years, burnout features prominently in the 2025 results.

“This is not a problem that can be fixed with wellbeing webinars or resilience training,” said Mr Little. “It is a structural issue. Excessive workloads, chronic understaffing, unfilled vacancies, and relentless pressure to do more with less.

“Several agencies are also facing large staffing cuts, and the morale in those agencies is definitely reflected in their respective results.”

Surprisingly, members in schools were twice as likely as those working in corrections to receive threats of physical harm, or to be physically harmed. At 11 per cent, the Law Enforcement Commission had the highest score for sexual harassment.

The survey again shows poor ratings for change management, confirming widespread change fatigue among members who have endured years of restructures and realignments. Workers consistently report that change is poorly communicated, inconsistently managed, and often imposed without genuine consultation.

“This is a critical point for the PSA. Consultation is not optional,” said Mr Little. “The PMES results provide a strong basis to insist on earlier, deeper, and more transparent engagement with workers and the PSA before major organisational decisions are made.

“The results also indicate a worrying lack of confidence in senior leadership across several departments. Our members need competent management, fair processes, and meaningful action on the PMES results, which it appears is not happening in a number of agencies. The same poor results are appearing year after year in some workplaces. 

“What is improving is public servants’ awareness and understanding of the ethics and values of the public service. Job purpose and enrichment, and inclusion and diversity are also improved on previous years’ results. The NSW public service is still a leading example of a progressive and intelligent workforce.

“The PSA always encourages members to engage with the People Matter Survey. It is an opportunity to have a voice. And it is a very handy industrial tool to have to influence better workplace conditions, and to make management listen to the workforce.”