Psychosocial Risk Signals Emerging Across Industries

Skodel Cross-Industry Benchmark

We've compiled findings from 2,495 workers across 7 industries to produce a current cross-industry psychosocial risk benchmark. The data reveals where strain is concentrated, which hazards are driving it, and what's protecting workers who are doing well.

21.2%
workforce under sustained strain
76.1%
positive emotion at work majority of time
5x
strain range across organisations involved in the study (9% to 66%)

Strain by Industry

Ranked highest to lowest strain rate

Government & Regulation
52.3%
Animal Welfare
40.7%
Healthcare
31.6%
Transport & Logistics
22.6%
Education
18.4%
Construction Services
18.3%
Disability & Social Services
13.8%
Skodel Cross-Industry Benchmark Hazards & Indicators

Top Psychosocial Hazards

Mapped from driver selections across all respondents

01 Job Demands HIGH
02 Traumatic Events or Material HIGH
03 Poor Organisational Justice MOD-HIGH
04 Poor Change ManagementVoice in change is the sharpest signal - see below MOD-HIGH
05 Inadequate Reward & Recognition MOD-HIGH

Recognition is the single most actionable lever in this dataset - it is the #1 risk driver when absent (selected by 35% of strained respondents) and a prominent protective factor when present (17% of positive respondents).

What Workers Are Telling Us

% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with each statement

Support & Safety to Speak Up

"I feel comfortable to raise concerns and know who to raise them with"
14%
"I feel safe and supported to speak up"
15%
"I am supported following distressing or traumatic events"
18%
"I feel supported when dealing with violence or aggression"
20%

Communication & Change

"I receive timely and clear updates about organisational priorities"
22%
"I receive timely and clear updates from my manager"
19%
"I have the opportunity to provide input during change"
24%

The change management risk isn't about change itself - it's about having a voice in it. Almost 1 in 4 workers disagreed or strongly disagreed that they have the opportunity to provide input during change. This was the highest single disagree rate across all additional questions.

Skodel Cross-Industry Benchmark Protective Factors & Report

What's Protecting Workers

Top protective factors cited by 1,898 positively-reporting respondents

I enjoy my work45.1%
Good workplace culture31.6%
Meaningful work29.3%
Trusted & supported by manager29.3%
Supportive work environment29.2%

Recognition and role clarity appear on both sides of this data. When absent, they drive strain. When present, they buffer against it. These are the highest-leverage intervention points in the dataset.

Overall Position

21.2%
under sustained strain - 528 of 2,495 meet the threshold
76.1%
reporting positive emotion - a substantial protective buffer
5x
strain variation - from 9% to 66% across organisations

Read the full benchmark report

The full report includes the complete hazard classification methodology, additional question indicators, risk register view, and sector-level breakdown for all 7 industries.

Download the Report →