Overworked, overloaded, overlooked and preparing to leave – 2022 NSW Public Sector Survey
Date: October 2022
The heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic were our essential workers.
This report reflects the experiences of a section of this workforce; those who worked for the NSW Public Service during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of these workers continued going into work, putting themselves and their families at greater risk of COVID-19, while experiencing increased workloads and a public sector pay freeze.
For the past two years, politicians at every level stood with these workers for photo opportunities. Now many feel they have been abandoned as new challenges arise postlock downs.
This report finds that public sector workers are experiencing real wage cuts, staff shortages and overwork. They are tired and fed up with their employer, the NSW Government. As one survey respondent told us they have been “overworked, overloaded and now overlooked”.
An alarming proportion are now explicitly thinking about leaving the NSW Public Sector; moving to the private sector, moving interstate or changing career altogether.
This report reveals the extent of the problems faced by these workers and outlines the key findings which should be of grave concern to NSW political leaders.
