Quick answer: Transport and Despatch Clerks are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #105 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 50.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and pace and demands.
Transport and Despatch Clerks 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 demands36.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden64.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands63.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control18.6 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony85.1 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment33.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for transport and despatch clerks
Compared with the average Australian occupation, transport and despatch clerks score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (85.1 vs 67.7 average), pace and demands (63.6 vs 56 average) and responsibility burden (64.3 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 89.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (18.6 vs 24.5), physical environment (33.5 vs 38.2) and emotional demands (36.9 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for transport and despatch clerks
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
89.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
86/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
84.2/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
76.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
75.5/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
All 22 stress factors for transport and despatch clerks
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
36.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People6.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People46.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations58 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
64.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results75.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety76.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results59 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error36.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others74 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
63.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure89.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week64 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment52 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making62 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition50.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
18.6 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions21.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work15.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
85.1 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks84.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate86 vs 78.6
Physical environment
33.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable49 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting24.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures44.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity45.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for transport and despatch clerks map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- 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.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- 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
Transport and Despatch Clerks: how stressful is the job?
Transport and Despatch Clerks rank #105 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 50.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 66.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for transport and despatch clerks?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (89.2/100), importance of being exact or accurate (86/100) and importance of repeating same tasks (84.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for transport and despatch clerks?
Transport and Despatch Clerks score below the national average for emotional demands (36.9 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (18.6 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (33.5 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 transport and despatch clerks. 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.