ACEM defines a sustainable emergency medicine workforce as one which enables emergency doctors to maximise their health, professional satisfaction, and career longevity, thereby optimising their ability to meet the emergency medicine care needs of the population. ACEM's Sustainable Workforce Survey gives the College’s members and trainees a voice, providing critical insights into emergency medicine workforce conditions, support, wellbeing, safety, and sustainability.

The Sustainable Workforce Survey focuses on:

  • Employment profiles
  • Job satisfaction and work-life balance
  • Workplace conditions, including workplace demand, support and challenges
  • Future career intentions
  • Health and wellbeing, including discrimination, bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment (DBSH)

The Sustainable Workforce Survey goes beyond data reporting, informing the College's workforce advocacy and its support to members and trainees. The survey findings help inform ACEM Workforce Strategy, advocacy priorities, research, and targeted interventions aimed at strengthening and sustaining the emergency medicine workforce across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

First conducted in 2016, the survey has since been delivered triennially in 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2025. The voluntary survey was distributed to all active members and trainees of ACEM. Those who were currently employed or had undertaken paid work in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand in the preceding 12 months were eligible to complete the survey.

The 2025 Sustainable Workforce Survey went live on 6 August 2025, followed by a six-week campaign with the survey closing on 14 September 2025. A total of 906 responses were received, representing 12 per cent of ACEMs members, trainees and affiliates.

Download full report

Download the 2025 survey findings, including the insights from the open-ended questions here.

Trends in 2025 compared with earlier survey iterations

What’s improved:

  • Work-life balance: A greater proportion of respondents reported their personal and professional commitments are about right, with fewer indicating that their work demands interfere with family life 
  • Workplace experience: Fewer respondents reported feeling professional isolation, and a decline was seen in those who reported experiencing DBSH from workplace colleagues 

Ongoing challenges:

  • Burnout: Personal burnout remains high, while work-related burnout continues at similarly elevated levels compared to 2022  
  • DBSH from patients: The proportion of respondents that report being subjected to verbal abuse, physical aggression, and incidents of sexual harassment by a patient or carer remains high 
  • Workforce retention: A significant proportion of respondents intend to reduce clinical practice hours, leave clinical practice, and/or leave the emergency medicine workforce in the next 10 years 

Explore the interactive dashboard to track the changes over time – see how workplace support, wellbeing indicators, and career intentions have shifted across multiple survey iterations. You can filter views by subgroup such as member category, respondent age group, workplace region and remoteness, for deeper insights.


 

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