Our culture
We are committed to a culture that engages our people, celebrates diversity and embeds inclusive, accessible and flexible workplace practices.
Workplace diversity
We embrace diversity and inclusion and value the contribution and experience of all our people.
A diverse organisation, with people of different backgrounds, views and experiences is good for our staff, our organisational culture, and good for our business as we fulfil our mission of achieving a just and secure society.
The Attorney-General's Department is a proud Gold Member of the Australian Disability Network and the Diversity Council of Australia, and is an accredited Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace through the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Our diversity strategy
Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022–2026 calls on every employee to take responsibility for creating a workplace that celebrates our diversity and values it as essential to our success.
This strategy is our commitment to building a culture where everyone feels they belong and fostering a workplace that is representative of the Australian community we serve.
Employee networks
We support and promote inclusion through our established Employee Networks:
- Celebrating Ability Network
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Network
- Indigenous Employee Network
- Women's Network
- Promoting Respect Inclusion Diversity and Equality (PRIDE) Network.
The work of the Employee Networks aligns with our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. They are advocates for diversity and inclusion in our organisation, organise events to raise diversity awareness, and advise on diversity initiatives and departmental policy.
Gender equality
We are committed to enabling all genders to participate fully and with equal opportunity in the workplace.
Our Gender Equality Action Plan 2023-25 (the GEAP) challenges us to be a workplace leader in gender equality. This work has been informed by the APS Gender Equality Strategy 2021–26, which presents a pathway to achieve gender equality across the APS.
The GEAP sets out actions we will achieve to implement, embed and drive gender equality outcomes, across the following key action areas:
- leadership and accountability
- respectful workplaces and empowered people
- shifting gender stereotypes
- flexible ways of working
- gender data
- leveraging our external influence.
As part of our commitment to inclusion and gender equality in the workplace we are members of the Champions of Change Coalition and maintain a close relationship with them.
Flexibility and inclusion
We are committed to building a culture that values flexibility and fosters inclusion in the way we work and all that we do.
A key focus of our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is to ensure that all staff have access to inclusive and flexible work practices, taking into consideration our professional and personal circumstances.
Disability and mental health
Our Disability and Mental Health Action Plan 2022–2025 (DMAP)supports our commitment to breaking down barriers that might prevent an employee or a stakeholder with disability or mental health condition, from fully participating in our workplace.
Our DMAP aims to provide a more inclusive workplace and support employees living with disability, including chronic mental health condition, throughout all stages of their careers. The DMAP will help the department enhance the diversity of our workforce to better reflect the Australian community we serve, build a culture where inclusion is at the forefront of all that we do, and achieve our objectives set out within the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022–2026.
Reconciliation
As a portfolio, we are proud to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians.
Our reconciliation vision is to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to build a just, secure and resilient Australia where all people have access to the rights and protections of the rule of law.
In our context, this represents proactive relationship building and increased consultation with Indigenous stakeholders. We seek to engage early. We come to listen. We come to learn.
Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2020–2022 sets out our commitment to embedding cultural awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements, as well as designing recruitment, development and retention strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
We are working with our RAP Working Group and our Indigenous Employment Network to develop a new Reconciliation Action Plan for 2025-2027.
We aim to be an employer of choice for First Nations people. Find out more at our First Nations Employment Hub.
APS employee census results
The APS employee census is an annual opinion survey. The Australian Public Service Commission sends it to all APS employees. It collects information on important workforce issues, such as:
- job satisfaction
- employee engagement
- performance management
- leadership
- general impressions of the APS.
Read our APS employee census results.
For more detail about interpreting, benchmarking and comparing results, visit the APSC census landing page.