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View all search resultsIt’s time to address psychosocial hazards in a changing world of work
For workers in every sector, psychosocial factors at work can make the difference between a job that supports well-being and one that undermines it.
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A worker takes part in an International Workers' Memorial Day vigil on April 28, 2025, to honor colleagues who have died from workplace accidents and occupational diseases, in an industrial area in Jakarta. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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delivery rider works 14 hours a day to meet algorithm-driven targets. A factory worker quietly endures relentless pressure and harassment. A middle-aged manager pushes away thoughts of suicide resulting from stress.
These are not isolated stories. They are signals of a deeper crisis, one that is too often invisible, unspoken and underestimated: the impact of psychosocial hazards on workers.
Today, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work calls global attention to psychosocial factors that influence health at work.
The impact of physical work-related hazards such as manual handling of heavy loads or working at heights are well recognized and understood. Psychosocial hazards are invisible but just as dangerous. Long working hours, workplace stress, violence and harassment, low pay and lack of job security – to name but a few – can all take a toll on both the physical and mental health of workers.
A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report, “The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action” highlights the scale of the impact.
It reveals that work-related psychosocial factors are responsible for more than 840,000 deaths annually due to associated cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders and lead to the loss of nearly 45 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) each year.
Long working hours are highlighted as a critical psychosocial risk factor associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In Asia and the Pacific, the burden is especially significant with nearly half of workers in the region working more than 48 hours per week, substantially higher than in other parts of the world.
