Documents published on the AusTender website show the department has a contract with Blue Visions, which promises workshops that give participants insights into their unique emotional strengths and weaknesses and provide an "emotional intelligence framework".

The department is far from alone when it comes to spending on self-improvement for its employees. Government agencies are spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars a year on training programs covering topics including "lean thinking" and "clear conversations".

IP Australia - an agency in the Department of Industry - is helping pay for its employees' yoga classes. It has a $10,900 contract with Canberra instructor Swami Yogamanas Saraswati to help its employees improve their downward-facing dog and other yoga poses during their lunch break.

When provided with such examples by Fairfax Media, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann delivered a warning to departmental secretaries that the government expects them to spend taxpayer money wisely.

"IP Australia is committed to improving the health and well-being of its employees," a spokeswoman for the agency said. "As part of this program, IP Australia offers a subsidised package to staff to assist them in achieving health and wellbeing goals, such as yoga during non-work time."

The spokeswoman said that employees cover 80 per cent of the class costs and that the $10,900 figure is the total cost of the contract, not the cost to taxpayers.

Agencies and departments are also spending up to $90,000 each a year on "transformational leadership training" and up to $45,000 to "build resilient teams".

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Australia in October spent $29,412 on "clear conversations training", while Geoscience Australia spent $28,876 in July to train its employees in "lean thinking, methodologies and process mapping".

Pat Conroy, chairman of Labor's Waste Watch Committee, said the federal government should crack down on such spending.

"It's just a joke. I know the government has shown an ability to hold multiple positions on policy, but yoga training is taking it a bit far," he said.

"Where is the fairness in the Abbott Government splurging thousands of taxpayer dollars on dubious training exercises, when this could provide around 6000 visits to the doctor without a GP tax?"

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said: "Since the election we have worked hard to cut much of the waste and duplication across Government which we inherited from Labor, but there is clearly more work to be done.

"Every departmental secretary is personally responsible to ensure taxpayers' money is treated with respect in their portfolio.

"We expect them to spend taxpayers' money wisely and to eliminate all waste."

The government "will not rest until any inappropriate expenditure has been eliminated", Senator Cormann said.

Fairfax Media contacted all relevant departments and agencies for comment.