Workplace pressures can be fatal, says the International Labour Organisation

Workplace pressures can be fatal, says the International Labour Organisation

For its new global study, The Psychosocial Working Environment, International Labour Organisation researchers looked at the relationships between risk factors at work and global health and mortality data from the World Health Organisation. They estimated that more than 840,000 people die each year as a result of health conditions associated with workplace stresses.

The key issues were found to be job strain and insecurity, excessive working hours, workplace bullying and feelings of being unappreciated: the imbalance between effort and reward. And evidence was found that these factors were linked to rising numbers of cases of cardiovascular diseases and poor mental health.

Problems of job design

The ILO has highlighted the importance of managing psychosocial risks by looking at job design, performance systems and workplace culture and their impact on wellbeing. The severity of health risks has been worsened in recent times, it says, by the changes brought about by digitalisation, AI, remote work and less secure employment models.

There needs to be a more proactive approach around psychosocial risks, as “one of the most pressing concerns for occupational health worldwide”, with job design and management included as part of occupational health safety systems.

Understanding root causes

EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett said: “EAPs have an important double role to play here. They are essential in making sure employees have immediate access to independent, professional support and get early advice around the impact of workplace stresses on their lives and health in general.

“But EAPs also shouldn’t just be used as a reactive service. It’s important that HR and their EAP providers work together to look at the available data and insights into how EAPs are being used and by who, building up a picture of how different aspects of job roles and their design have an impact on health, both psychologically and physically.”