Quick answer: Public Relations Professionals are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #213 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and lack of control.
Public Relations Professionals 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 demands39 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden57.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands64.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control28.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony56.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment20.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for public relations professionals
Compared with the average Australian occupation, public relations professionals score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (64.2 vs 56 average), lack of control (28.5 vs 24.5 average) and emotional demands (39 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 88.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for physical environment (20.5 vs 38.2), precision and monotony (56.8 vs 67.7) and responsibility burden (57.5 vs 60), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for public relations professionals
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
88.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
82/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
79.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
77.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
76.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for public relations professionals
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
39 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People11.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People52.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
57.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results62.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety27.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results76.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error46.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others75 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
64.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure88.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week82 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making77.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition70.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
28.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions29.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work27.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
56.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks34 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate79.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
20.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable39.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures6.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity45.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for public relations professionals 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.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
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
Public Relations Professionals: how stressful is the job?
Public Relations Professionals rank #213 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 32.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for public relations professionals?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (88.8/100), duration of typical work week (82/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (79.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, pace and demands and lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for public relations professionals?
Public Relations Professionals score below the national average for responsibility burden (57.5 vs 60 average) and precision and monotony (56.8 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (20.5 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 public relations professionals. 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.