Quick answer: Telecommunications Trades Workers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #103 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 50.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and precision and monotony.
Telecommunications Trades Workers 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 demands38.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden53.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands55.1 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control22 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony75.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment58.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for telecommunications trades workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, telecommunications trades workers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (58.6 vs 38.2 average), precision and monotony (75.6 vs 67.7 average) and emotional demands (38.5 vs 37.9 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is frequency of decision making at 91.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.7.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (53.3 vs 60), lack of control (22 vs 24.5) and pace and demands (55.1 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 telecommunications trades workers
- 1Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
91.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
79/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
78.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Pace and demands
Time Pressure
78/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
72.2/100
All-occupation average: 56.9
All 22 stress factors for telecommunications trades workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
38.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People9.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People55.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations50 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
53.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results40.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety56.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results78.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error41 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others50.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
55.1 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure78 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week59.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment2.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making91.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition43.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
22 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions13.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work30.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
75.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks72.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate79 vs 78.6
Physical environment
58.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable69 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting69.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures71 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections21.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity62.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for telecommunications trades workers 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
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
Telecommunications Trades Workers: how stressful is the job?
Telecommunications Trades Workers rank #103 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 50.5/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 67.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for telecommunications trades workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are frequency of decision making (91.8/100), importance of being exact or accurate (79/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (78.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for telecommunications trades workers?
Telecommunications Trades Workers score below the national average for responsibility burden (53.3 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (55.1 vs 56 average) and lack of control (22 vs 24.5 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 telecommunications trades workers. 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.