Case Study: Reducing Sick Leave and Agency Fees Through Team Excel

September 30, 2025

Organisation: Residential, Community & Retirement Living Provider (Perth & Regional WA, 800 FTE)

The Challenge

This large aged care organisation was struggling with rising costs in both sick leave and agency staffing across its residential, community, and retirement living sites.

While some teams maintained stable performance, others faced consistently higher absenteeism and safety incidents.

One location—Site 5—stood out as a critical pressure point:

  • $593,600 per year in agency staffing costs.
  • Second-highest safety incidents per employee across the organisation.

Low Team Psychological Safety scores compared to peers.

The Data Insight

Analysis from the organisation’s Team Excel dashboard uncovered a strong pattern:

  • Teams with higher Psychological Safety scores (e.g., Site 7 & Site 10) consistently reported lower sick leave rates and reduced reliance on agency staff.

Site 5’s low psychological safety was directly correlated with its high absence rates and safety costs.

The Opportunity

By lifting Site 5’s psychological safety to the level of its top-performing peers, the organisation identified clear potential:

  • $371,000 per year saved in agency fees.

40% reduction in safety incidents.

The Solution

The organisation introduced Team Excel—a structured, evidence-based program designed to build psychological safety and improve team culture.

  • Investment: $2,500 per month for the Team Excel program.

Return: $30,000 per month saved in agency fees alone (excluding further savings from reduced incidents and turnover).

The Impact

This case demonstrates the business case for cultural investment in aged care:

  • Significant, measurable cost savings.
  • Safer working environments for staff and residents.
  • More engaged, resilient teams across sites.

Team Excel enabled this organisation to shift from reactive staffing costs to proactive cultural improvement, proving that investing in people delivers immediate financial and operational returns.

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