Public Eye: Australian Public Service's worst workplaces revealed in 2021 APS Employee Census

But who has time to read nearly 100 reports to find those red flag and magical lands of unicorns to figure out the best and worst APS workplaces?

So I've done it for you.

Allow me to present The Canberra Times' tongue-in-cheek awards for APS workplaces of note.

The Disneyland Award: Is it even possible to be unhappy at the Australian Taxation Office? 84 per cent of ATO employees would recommend the agency as a good place to work. It's a huge lead over almost everyone else except the next award recipient.

The Irony Award: One in five Australian Bureau of Statistics employees did not complete their internal census. Go hang your heads in shame while you enjoy that great workplace culture: 83 per cent would recommend it to others and 92 per cent say it has great non-monetary benefits.

The Hiding Under the Blanket Award: The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission only uploaded its results after being prompted by The Canberra Times. Less than half of its employees are likely to stay and just 59 per cent feeling they are compensated fairly. Only 27 per cent feel confident in the changes the agency is going through.

The Goody Two-Shoes award: The National Capital Authority had a 100 per cent response rate. I think we need the ABS to explain if the NCA's response rate is a statistical anomaly related to the Canberra Bubble, or if it's just born out of a fierce desire to let people know it exists.

The Spud Award: There's no hiding the morale drop at Defence just as Peter Dutton became the new minister. Every engagement measure fell from last year, except their consistently strong belief in Defence's purpose. Just 50 per cent feel inspired by their managers and SES, and less than one-third feel confident the department can manage change.

The Cry for Help Award: Home Affairs had one of the lowest engagement scores, at 66 per cent, and job satisfaction fell by 5 per cent in one year. Just 46 per cent would recommend their employer to others (almost one-third lower than the APS average), and only 43 per cent feel they are fairly compensated, but job security was a positive.

The New Letterhead Pending Award: With an acronym that just rolls of the tongue, and having one of the most confused ministerial reporting arrangements in government, personal attachment to DITRDC is amongst the lowest in the APS, at just 47 per cent. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications appears to be having an identity crisis. A paltry 27 per cent say the agency is managing change well, which is unfortunate given there's a good chance it'll get MOGed again next year.

The Self-Plagiarism Award: For an agency that has done so much in the past year and seen so much change, it's astonishing how little shift in attitudes was seen at Services Australia. Did they copy and paste their response to last year's census? There were no major shifts in any field; it's still as middle-of-the-road as you get the APS. The only thing they seem to complain about is a lack of flexibility in their working arrangements.

Now you have the tools when faced with the choice of staying where you are or apply for a role in another public service organisation. But if you are considering a permanent move based on these awards alone, it's caveat emptor.

Are you thinking of moving APS organisations? What characteristics are you're looking for in your next opportunity? Get in touch and let us know what matters most to you.