Media Release: Burnout and pay gaps threaten equity in the ACT: Community sector workforce on the brink

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) released its factsheet – Workforce and Wellbeing in the ACT Community Sector: Findings from the 2025 State of the ACT Community Sector Survey.

“The results show a sector that is highly skilled and deeply committed, but increasingly stretched by burnout, pay inequity and funding uncertainty. Effectively, the Government is relying on the goodwill of an underpaid, highly feminised workforce to keep delivering essential services under conditions of growing burnout,” said Dr Devin Bowles, ACTCOSS CEO.

“Burnout is at crisis levels – 76% of organisations report staff exhaustion and burnout. More than half of workers are personally experiencing emotional exhaustion, a key component of burnout.”

“Staff are working unpaid hours every week just to keep services running because they can see the human cost of underinvestment in their clients. They are filling the Government’s funding gaps.”

“ACT community sector workers earn over $22,000 less annually than their ACT public sector counterparts. This pay gap disproportionately impacts women, with around 75% of the community sector workforce being female.”

“Community sector workers do more than just provide a passive listening ear. Operating in a rapidly changing social and economic environment, they help clients with complex, overlapping psychosocial needs. While virtually all Canberrans use the community sector, clients are disproportionately in crisis with histories of trauma and structural disadvantage.”

“This is highly skilled work, which is why over 80% of survey respondents held a bachelor or postgraduate degree,” said Dr Bowles.

“Most Canberrans would be shocked at the financial and emotional burden placed on this highly feminised workforce.”

“For too long, the ACT Government has relied on the goodwill of community sector workers to prop up a system starved of investment. If this continues, the toll won’t just be on workers, it will be on the whole Canberra community.”

“The ACT community sector is the backbone of support for Canberrans facing disadvantage. These findings show a workforce that is educated, experienced and passionate – but under immense strain from chronic underfunding and consequent pay gaps and rising burnout.”

“At a time when the ACT Government is investing billions in built infrastructure like tram extensions and theatres, our social infrastructure is fraying. If the people who care for our community are burning out, the entire community is at risk,” said Dr Bowles.

Survey respondents described the human cost of these pressures:

• “I am exhausted and don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this work.”
• “We have struggled to meet demand while maintaining healthy workloads and staff wellbeing.”
• “The satisfaction from working in the sector should be a bonus, not a supplement to ‘top up’ poor salary expectations.”

Despite these challenges, many workers remain deeply committed:

• “Working in the community sector has been both deeply rewarding and challenging.”
• “I absolutely LOVE the organisation I work for and the clients I service.”

ACTCOSS is calling on the ACT Government to:

• Commit to fair and sustainable funding models
• Address inequities in pay and conditions between the community sector and public sector; and
• Invest in workforce wellbeing and retention strategies.

“Canberrans rely on community services every day. Without urgent action to provide sustainable funding, we risk losing skilled staff and compromising support for those who need it most,” Dr Bowles said.

This factsheet highlights the key findings about workforce challenges for community services in the ACT. The survey responses offer a snapshot of the ACT community sector and the full State of the Community Sector Report will be released in the final quarter of 2025.

You can find out more information on the growing demand on ACT community services and the factors driving this demand from our recently released factsheet: Demand for ACT community services: Findings from the 2025 State of the ACT Community Sector Survey.

ACTCOSS advocates for social justice in the ACT and represents not-for-profit community organisations. Follow us @ACTCOSS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Authorised by Dr Devin Bowles on behalf of the
ACT Council of Social Service Inc (ACTCOSS)