ILO Raises Alarm Over Workplace Stress as 840,000 Die Annually From Psychosocial Risks

GENEVA— The International Labour Organization (ILO) has raised fresh concerns over the growing impact of workplace stress, harassment, and poor job conditions, revealing that more than 840,000 people die every year globally from health conditions linked to psychosocial risks at work.

The warning comes ahead of the 2026 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, marked annually on April 28, with this year’s focus centered on creating safe and healthy psychosocial working environments.

According to the ILO, factors such as long working hours, job insecurity, workplace bullying, poor management practices, and excessive workload demands are increasingly contributing to serious health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, depression, anxiety, and suicide.

ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo stressed that as the world of work rapidly evolves through digitalization, remote work, artificial intelligence, and new employment models, the psychological environment of workers has become a major global concern.

“The way work is designed, organized, and managed directly affects workers’ safety, health, and dignity,” the ILO stated.

The report noted that the impact goes beyond health, placing a heavy burden on economies worldwide. The organization estimates that psychosocial risks account for the loss of about 1.37 percent of global GDP annually, alongside nearly 45 million years of healthy life lost each year.

The ILO is now calling on governments, employers, and workers’ representatives to work together through stronger labor policies, social dialogue, and workplace reforms aimed at preventing harmful psychosocial conditions.

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Experts say healthier work environments, reasonable demands, proper support systems, and respect for worker dignity can improve both employee well-being and organizational productivity.

The agency described safe and healthy workplaces as a fundamental right, urging immediate action to tackle what it called one of the most significant occupational safety challenges of the modern era.