Despite its good intentions, it appears that Aged Care Employee Day is beginning to spark frustration, division, and even resentment for a surprisingly large number of aged care employees across the country.
While the original intent is to thank the carers, lifestyle teams, nurses, kitchen staff, and support workers who keep aged care running, this year, a large percentage of the workforce reported feeling forgotten, undervalued, or left out altogether.
Across aged care worker forums, stories poured in. Some teams were treated to heartfelt recognition: handwritten notes, thoughtful gift bags, BBQs, morning teas and thank-you speeches. But these were the exceptions.
However, it appears that Aged Care Employee Day came and went for a very large number of staff with no acknowledgement at all.
Many staff described the silence from management as deafening – no email, no gesture, not even a mention. Some received leftover food from earlier shifts, while others were told of celebrations only after they’d passed.
Community care workers in particular reported near-total exclusion, reinforcing the divide between residential and community care teams.
The inconsistency is having a real and damaging impact. Rather than uplifting morale, the uneven nature of the day is causing a sense of bitterness and inequality, especially among night shift staff and those working off-site.
The overwhelming message from workers is clear: if you’re not going to celebrate everyone, don’t celebrate at all.
In a time when the sector is desperate to retain and attract a committed workforce, token gestures – or worse, total silence – do more harm than good. For some, the day is now a reminder of how undervalued they feel year-round.
And that raises a difficult question: Has Aged Care Employee Day had its day?
Perhaps, unless it’s treated with the same dignity and intention expected of those it aims to honour. True recognition doesn’t need to be grand. It just needs to be genuine and equitable.
As one sentiment echoed time and time again: “We don’t need gifts. We just want to be seen.”
