Quick answer: Receptionists are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #175 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 46.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and emotional demands.
Receptionists 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 demands48.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden46.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands50.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control27.4 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony82 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment24.7 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for receptionists
Compared with the average Australian occupation, receptionists score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (82 vs 67.7 average), emotional demands (48.3 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (27.4 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of repeating same tasks at 83.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 56.9.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (24.7 vs 38.2), responsibility burden (46.5 vs 60) and pace and demands (50.8 vs 56), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for receptionists
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
83.5/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
80.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
73.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
69/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for receptionists
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
48.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People21 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People68 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations56 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
46.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results39.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety43.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results73.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error28.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others47 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
50.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure69 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week42 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment6.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making80.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition55.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
27.4 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions28.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work26.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
82 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks83.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
24.7 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable39.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting0.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures1 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections30.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity51.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for receptionists 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.
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
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
Receptionists: how stressful is the job?
Receptionists rank #175 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 46.6/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 44.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for receptionists?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of repeating same tasks (83.5/100), frequency of decision making (80.8/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (80.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, lack of control and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for receptionists?
Receptionists score below the national average for responsibility burden (46.5 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (50.8 vs 56 average) and physical environment (24.7 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 receptionists. 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.