Quick answer: Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #172 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 46.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are precision and monotony and pace and demands.
Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers 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 demands40.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden61 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands63 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control13.8 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony76.9 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 importers, exporters and wholesalers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, importers, exporters and wholesalers score furthest above the norm on precision and monotony (76.9 vs 67.7 average), pace and demands (63 vs 56 average) and emotional demands (40.8 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 91.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (24.7 vs 38.2) and lack of control (13.8 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 importers, exporters and wholesalers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
91.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
86.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
81/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
78.2/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
75.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for importers, exporters and wholesalers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
40.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People7.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People55 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations60 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
61 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results68.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety34.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results81 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error53.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others67.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
63 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure75.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week91.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment1.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making86.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition60 vs 52.4
Lack of control
13.8 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions15 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work12.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
76.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks78.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate75.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
24.7 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable25 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting9.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures21.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections10.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity57.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for importers, exporters and wholesalers 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
Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers: how stressful is the job?
Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers rank #172 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 46.7/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 45.7% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for importers, exporters and wholesalers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (91.5/100), frequency of decision making (86.2/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (81/100). 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 importers, exporters and wholesalers?
Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers score below the national average for lack of control (13.8 vs 24.5 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 importers, exporters and wholesalers. 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.