Quick answer: General Managers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #113 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 50.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and pace and demands.
General 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 demands46.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden80 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands67.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control5.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony69.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment31.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for general managers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, general managers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (80 vs 60 average), pace and demands (67.6 vs 56 average) and emotional demands (46.8 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 93/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (5.2 vs 24.5) and physical environment (31.4 vs 38.2), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for general managers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
93/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
88.8/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
88.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
88.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
85.2/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
All 22 stress factors for general managers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
46.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People11 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People61 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations68.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
80 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results88.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety80.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results88.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error57 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others85.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
67.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure80.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week93 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment15 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making88.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition61 vs 52.4
Lack of control
5.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions5.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
69.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks64.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate74.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
31.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable55.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting9 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures23.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections14 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity55.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for general 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
General Managers: how stressful is the job?
General Managers rank #113 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 50.1/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 64.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for general managers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (93/100), responsibility for outcomes and results (88.8/100) and frequency of decision making (88.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for general managers?
General Managers score below the national average for lack of control (5.2 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (31.4 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 general 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.