Quick answer: Policy and Planning Managers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #78 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 51.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and pace and demands.
Policy and Planning Managers 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 demands54.1 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden81.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands73.7 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control1.4 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony67.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for policy and planning managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, policy and planning managers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (81.3 vs 60 average), pace and demands (73.7 vs 56 average) and emotional demands (54.1 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is frequency of decision making at 97.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.7.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (1.4 vs 24.5), physical environment (31.5 vs 38.2) and precision and monotony (67.4 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for policy and planning managers
- 1Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
97.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
96.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
94.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
92.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
86.2/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for policy and planning managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
54.1 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People21.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People64.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations76.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
81.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results86.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety70 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results96.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error61.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others92.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
73.7 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure80 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week94.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment16.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making97.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition79.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
1.4 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions2.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work0.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
67.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks55.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate79 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable48.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting22 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures25.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections18 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity43.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for policy and planning managers 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
Policy and Planning Managers: how stressful is the job?
Policy and Planning Managers rank #78 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 51.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 75.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for policy and planning managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are frequency of decision making (97.8/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (96.8/100) and duration of typical work week (94.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden and pace and demands.
Which stress factors are lower for policy and planning managers?
Policy and Planning Managers score below the national average for lack of control (1.4 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (67.4 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (31.5 vs 38.2 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 policy and planning managers. 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.