Quick answer: Kitchenhands are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #44 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 53.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and emotional demands.
Kitchenhands 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 demands49.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden65.8 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands53.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control43.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony73.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment34.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for kitchenhands
Compared with the average Australian occupation, kitchenhands score furthest above the norm on lack of control (43.5 vs 24.5 average), emotional demands (49.8 vs 37.9 average) and precision and monotony (73.8 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 84.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (34.8 vs 38.2) and pace and demands (53.3 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 kitchenhands
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
84.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
83/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.2/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
79.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for kitchenhands
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
49.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People27 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People58 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations64.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
65.8 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results67.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety79.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results56.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error42.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others83 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
53.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure84.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week18 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment48.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making70.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition44.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
43.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions40.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work46.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
73.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks67.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
34.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable30.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting19.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures49 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections5.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity69.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for kitchenhands 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
Kitchenhands: how stressful is the job?
Kitchenhands rank #44 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 53.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 86.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for kitchenhands?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (84.8/100), coordinate or lead others (83/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (80.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, lack of control and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for kitchenhands?
Kitchenhands score below the national average for pace and demands (53.3 vs 56 average) and physical environment (34.8 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 kitchenhands. 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.