More than 840,000 people die each year from health conditions linked to psychosocial risks, such as long working hours, job insecurity, and workplace harassment, according to a new global report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). These work-related psychosocial risks are mainly associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, including suicide.
The report also finds that these risks account for nearly 45 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost annually, reflecting years of healthy life lost due to illness, disability, or premature death, and are estimated to result in economic losses equivalent to 1.37 per cent of global GDP each year.
The report, The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action, highlights the growing impact of how work is designed, organized, and managed on workers’ safety and health. It warns that psychosocial risk factors, including long working hours, job insecurity, high demands with low control, and workplace bullying and harassment, can create harmful working environments if not properly addressed.
What is the psychosocial working environment? The report introduces the psychosocial working environment as the elements of work and workplace interactions related to how jobs are designed, how work is organized and managed, and the broader policies, practices, and procedures that govern work. These elements, both individually and in combination, affect workers’ health and well-being, as well as organizational performance.
How the ILO estimated 840,000 deaths The figure of over 840,000 deaths per year was estimated using two key sources of evidence:
Global prevalence data: Five major psychosocial risk factors were analyzed, including job strain (high demands/low control), effort–reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying and harassment.
Scientific research: Data linking these risks to serious health conditions like heart disease, stroke, and mental disorders, including suicide.
These risk levels were applied to the latest global mortality and health data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.
Proactive Action Required While many psychosocial risks are not new, major transformations, including digitalization, artificial intelligence, remote work, and new employment arrangements, are reshaping the psychosocial working environment.
“Psychosocial risks are becoming one of the most significant challenges for occupational safety and health in the modern world of work,” said Manal Azzi, Team Lead on OSH Policy and Systems at the ILO. “Improving the psychosocial working environment is essential not only for protecting workers’ mental and physical health, but also for strengthening productivity, organizational performance and sustainable economic development.”
The report concludes that by addressing these risks proactively, countries and enterprises can create healthier workplaces that benefit both workers and organizations while strengthening productivity and economic resilience.
Full Report Access: https://www.ilo.org/publications/psychosocial-working-environment-global-developments-and-pathways-action
