Health and aged care workers are leaving their jobs because of burnout, not pay and conditions, latest research from talent company Randstad Australia has found.

Randstad’s Employer Brand Research surveyed 5,742 Australians workers and found almost 50 per cent of health and aged care workers would leave their job for a better work-life balance, compared to just 36% of workers who would quit because of low pay. 

“This data tells us that while competitive salaries matter, they’re not what is pushing people out the door,” said Matt Hodges, Randstad’s National Director of Health and Aged Care. 

“Burnout and perceptions of a poor workplace culture are the real drivers of turnover according to our research, and until that’s addressed, no pay rise will be enough to keep the best talent,” he added. 

Healthcare experts say managing burnout in clinical and aged care sectors has become more complex under the new Aged Care Act. The introduction of mandatory care minutes and 24/7 Registered Nurse (RN) requirements leave providers navigating a tight balancing act - meeting strict compliance and funding benchmarks while proactively supporting the wellbeing of their frontline teams.

The research further shows that work-life balance is the number one priority for health and aged care workers when searching for an ideal employer, with 68% ranking it as a top priority, which is much higher than the national workforce average of 60%. 

“These gaps between health and aged care workers and the national average shows us that this isn’t a minor grievance,” said Mr Hodges. 

“Employers who invest in flexible rostering, give staff input into their work schedules could see great returns in retention and morale,” he added. 

The data also shows how workplace culture problems could be impacting retention within the health and aged care sector, with other insights including: 

The report also found 35% of health and aged care workers would leave their employer because of poor leadership and 34% would quit due to a negative work environment. 

“Leadership is everything in this sector, particularly in clinical environments, and nurses who feel supported by their leaders are nurses who’ll stay,” said Mr Hodges. 

“This shows the sector how important it is to have strong management training, it is not just a nice-to-have, but something that the sector can focus on to keep good talent on board,” he added. 

These findings are largely driven by frontline staff, with nurses making up 20% of the largest single group within the healthcare respondents followed by 10% of health services managers.

Mr Hodges said regular wellbeing checks and manageable case loads and a positive workplace culture are where staff can speak up about their concerns, and employers can hold onto its talent in the long term.