By Sarah McCrea
A national study has been conducted on psychosocial risk to university staff. But how does ANU measure up in comparison to other universities? As can be guessed from the controversy surrounding the university’s working environment and job security for staff last year, the answer is: not well.
In reaction to a “growing crisis in [university] staff psychological health and safety”, Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) Global Observatory conducted a 2025 University Census on Staff Wellbeing. The research platform, from the University of South Australia, created this Census to “understand the scale of psychosocial risk in the sector” following a five-year national study on the topic.
The census found “widespread psychosocial risk and distress across the sector, driven by years of restructuring, increasing workloads and digital stress”. It examined Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), described as “the organisational climate for worker psychological health, wellbeing, and safety”.
“For example, whether workers are exposed to psychosocial risks such as high work pressure, bullying, and harassment, and low levels of job control, social support, and organisational justice.”
The Census had 11,500 respondents from 42 different universities. 36 of these universities were ranked by their level of Psychosocial Safety Climate, with six of the 42 universities excluded as they had lower than the 100 necessary respondents to be included in the ranking.
A report stated “the Census reveals a sector under psychological strain”. Respondents strongly indicated that senior management dismissed their psychological health in favour of productivity. Respondents also ranked high in emotional exhaustion, and most stated that risks to psychological health were not being monitored. 80 per cent of respondents agreed that in their workplaces’ “new policies and procedures designed to cut costs are constantly being introduced”.
Six recommendations were made for improving working conditions.
- Increase funding to universities to decrease pressure on productivity
- Alter the Higher Education Standards Framework to include maintaining “mentally healthy workplaces”
- Adopt the PSC tool “as the National Standard for Psychosocial Risk Assessment in the higher education sector”
- Independently administer the PSC tool “across the sector on a regular basis” and public university performance tables on PSC
- Use the PSC tool as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for senior management
- Universities to use a “a staff-centred approach to strategic operations“
The results of the Census further suggested that organisational change is correlated to a reduction in psychosocial safety. Certain disciplines, such as Indigenous Studies, were at greater risk than others. These also happened to be ranked at the highest risk of organisational change in the past year.
Referring to the report, PSC Global Observatory stated the results “reflect a shared, collective view within each university—a kind of organisational “signature” of PSC”. But what does this look like at ANU?
The Census assessed PSC risk levels at Australian universities. From 309 usable responses from ANU staff, 58 per cent reported “very high risk” in Psychosocial Safety Climate and 31 per cent reported “high risk”. 2 per cent reported “medium risk”. 8 per cent reported “low risk”, compared to the highest-ranked university, Charles Darwin University, where 36 per cent of staff reported “low risk”. ANU was Australia’s fifth lowest-performing university.
This result follows the effects of last year’s Renew ANU changes. Psychosocial risk for staff at the College of Arts and Social Sciences led to a ‘cease work order’ being issued in late 2025. Organisational change, demonstrated by the Census to be linked to lower psychosocial safety, underpinned the Renew ANU initiative. A lack of job security was a significant issue for staff with “$100 million in salary-related savings” originally an aim of Renew ANU.
ANU Interim Vice-Chancellor Rebekah-Brown commented on the Census, telling Observer, “The findings of this national survey are confronting. Many members of our community will feel concerned and disappointed — and so do I”.
“Staff wellbeing, psychological safety and workplace culture are fundamental to the strength and reputation of our University. When our people are not thriving, the institution cannot thrive.”
She confirmed the University would be “targeting a balanced budget in 2026” and this “will not involve staff redundancies”. Professor Brown added “prudent financial management and workforce stability must go hand in hand”.
The 2025 University Census on Staff Wellbeing has found the ANU a part of a national university staff “psychosocial safety crisis”. However, flowing on from the pause of involuntary redundancies late 2025, the actions of the university this year will tell if the institution can manage to improve the wellbeing of its staff.
Observer reached out to the NTEU ACT Branch, but they did not respond in time for publication of this article.
Graphics by Laudine Cao
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