Marking World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a new 2026 report highlighting the increasing importance of psychosocial risks in today’s evolving world of work. The report discusses how changes such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, new forms of work organisation, and economic uncertainty are reshaping working conditions and intensifying psychosocial hazards. These include work-related stress, burnout, harassment, and job insecurity. Broader external factors, including geopolitical uncertainty, also continue to reshape work organisation.
An important finding is that psychosocial risk factors are responsible for more than 840,000 deaths annually, due to associated cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders. These risks also account for nearly 45 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year, representing an estimated 1.37% of global GDP. Long working hours (one of the most critical psychosocial risk factors) remain widespread, with 35% of workers globally working more than 48 hours per week. The report aims to bring together international, regional, and national policy frameworks, alongside workplace-level practices, to support the development of healthier and safer work environments. Lastly, it also points to persistent gaps in recognition, measurement, and regulation. While awareness of psychosocial risks has grown, many policy frameworks and workplace practices remain insufficiently equipped to prevent and manage these risks effectively, particularly for vulnerable groups of workers.
Through this report, the ILO calls for a more systemic and preventive approach centred on modifiable aspects of the psychosocial working environment. This includes integrating psychosocial risks into occupational safety and health (OSH) frameworks, helping stakeholders identify priority areas for action and address hazards at their source, strengthening labour standards, and promoting workplace cultures that prioritise psychological and physical health.
From a European perspective, the ILO report aligns with the findings of the OSH Pulse 2025 survey conducted by EU-OSHA, which examines the impacts of psychosocial risks, climate change, and digital technologies on workers’ mental health and workplace conditions. The survey shows that psychosocial risks remain widespread across the EU, with, for instance, 44% of workers reporting exposure to severe time pressure or work overload. Similarly, a recent ETUI report, Conceptualising work-related psychosocial risks, highlights that some of the most prevalent psychosocial risks in the EU are linked to work intensity, including tight deadlines, high work speed, and work overload, as well as factors related to task design, such as monotonous or highly complex work. The publication also underlines the continued impact of irregular schedules and long working hours on workers’ well-being.
Together, these findings support the view that psychosocial risks should not be treated solely as individual mental health concerns, but rather as structural OSH issues rooted in how work is organised, managed, and regulated. As noted by Manal Azzi from the International Labour Organization, psychosocial risks have profound impacts on workers’ health, lives, and societies, reinforcing the need to strengthen regulations, workplace prevention measures, and guidance for both employers and workers.
