Quick answer: Commissioned Officers (Management) are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #6 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 62.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are emotional demands and physical environment.
Commissioned Officers (Management) stress profile vs the national average
Each occupation is scored across six categories of workplace mental health hazard, built from 22 stress factors identified in SafeWork Australia's occupational hazards data. Higher scores mean greater exposure.
- Emotional demands76.7 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden83 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands62.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control10.8 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony76.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment66.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for commissioned officers (management)
Compared with the average Australian occupation, commissioned officers (management) score furthest above the norm on emotional demands (76.7 vs 37.9 average), physical environment (66.2 vs 38.2 average) and responsibility burden (83 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is responsible for others' health and safety at 86.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 57.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (10.8 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for commissioned officers (management)
- 1Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
86.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
86.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
86/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Emotional demands
Frequency of Conflict Situations
85.8/100
All-occupation average: 49.3
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
85.5/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for commissioned officers (management)
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
76.7 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People64 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People80.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations85.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
83 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results85.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety86.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results86 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error72.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others84 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
62.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure76.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week76.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment11.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making86.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition60.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
10.8 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions7.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work14.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
76.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks69.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate83.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
66.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable67.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting58.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures71.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections56.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity76.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for commissioned officers (management) map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
Methodology
Clearhead scored 317 occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) using SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. We kept only the 22 hazard variables relating to mental health — such as conflict exposure, decision-making pressure, and time pressure — and deliberately excluded physical safety risks like working at height.
The 22 variables are grouped into six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment. An occupation's composite score is the equally weighted average of its six category scores. All scores run 0–100, where higher means more stress-inducing.
Two control-related variables are reported by SafeWork with inverted polarity (“freedom to make decisions” and “structured versus unstructured work”). We reverse these and present them as lack of autonomy to make decisions and amount of highly structured work, so that a higher score consistently indicates greater stress exposure.
Hazard exposure describes the average conditions of an occupation, not any individual's experience — everyone has a different tolerance for these challenges, and conditions vary between workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
Commissioned Officers (Management): how stressful is the job?
Commissioned Officers (Management) rank #6 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 62.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 98.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for commissioned officers (management)?
The highest-scoring hazards are responsible for others' health and safety (86.8/100), frequency of decision making (86.5/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (86/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for commissioned officers (management)?
Commissioned Officers (Management) score below the national average for lack of control (10.8 vs 24.5 average), which partially offsets the higher-scoring hazards.
Where does this data come from?
Scores are derived from SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. Clearhead filtered the dataset to the 22 mental-health-related hazard variables — excluding physical safety risks — and scored 317 ANZSCO occupations across six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment.
Beyond the average
This is the average hazard exposure for commissioned officers (management). Your workforce isn't average.
Clearhead's Psychosocial Risk Pulse measures the actual psychosocial risk in your organisation, quarterly — across 18 ISO 45003-aligned work factors.