The modern workplace is exacting a far heavier toll on human health than previously understood, according to new findings from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
An employee works late into the night every day, struggling to keep up with an unmanageable workload; a junior staff member feels constant anxiety after being repeatedly criticised in front of colleagues; a remote worker finds it impossible to switch off, answering messages at all hours; a delivery driver faces relentless time pressure, rushing between jobs without adequate rest; and a shop assistant dreads going to work each morning due to persistent bullying from some customers.
Sounds familiar?
In its latest global report, The Psychosocial Working Environment: Global Developments and Pathways for Action, the UN agency estimates that more than 840,000 people die each year because of psychosocial risks at work — pressures that contribute to cardiovascular disease and mental illness.
The scale of the problem is stark. These risks are also responsible for the loss of nearly 45 million years of healthy life annually, while the economic cost is estimated at 1.37 per cent of global GDP — a quiet but substantial drain on productivity and prosperity worldwide.
Long hours remain one of the chief culprits. Despite decades of labour reform, around 35 per cent of workers globally still clock more than 48 hours a week — a pattern closely associated with heightened risks of heart disease and stroke.
Equally troubling is the persistence of workplace harassment. The ILO reports that almost a quarter of workers — 23 per cent — have experienced some form of violence or harassment during their careers. Psychological abuse is the most common, affecting 18 per cent of employees.
At the heart of the issue lies what experts describe as the “psychosocial working environment” — the way jobs are structured, managed and experienced. It is shaped not only by working hours and workloads, but also by organisational culture, policies, and day-to-day interactions, all of which bear directly on both employee wellbeing and organisational performance.
Yet the nature of work itself is rapidly evolving. The rise of platform-based jobs, flexible contracts, and remote or hybrid working arrangements is reshaping expectations and blurring the boundaries of the working day. At the same time, wider pressures — from economic uncertainty to geopolitical tensions — are further altering how work is organised.
While these changes may offer opportunities to improve working conditions, the ILO cautions they also risk deepening existing strains unless carefully managed. The report calls for a more proactive approach from governments and employers alike, warning that the cost of inaction is measured not only in lost output, but in human lives.
NHS tip – keep a stress diary
If you’re unsure what is causing your stress, keeping a diary of stressful episodes over two to four weeks can help identify patterns, the NHS suggests.
In a stress diary, you could include:
- the date, time and place of a stressful episode
- who you were with
- what you were doing
- how you felt physically and emotionally
- what you were thinking
- how stressed you felt (on a scale from 1 to 10)
Why is a stress diary important? Doctors sometimes recommend keeping a stress diary to help them diagnose stress.
It can help you work out what triggers your stress, how you respond under pressure, and better ways of coping.
28.04.2026.
