Key facts
- Decent work is good for mental health.
- Poor working environments – including
discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and
job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health. - 16% of working-age adults were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2023.
- Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days
are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1
trillion per year in lost productivity. - There are effective actions to prevent mental
health risks at work, protect and promote mental health at work, and
support workers with mental health conditions.
Overview
Almost 60% of the world population is in work (1). All workers have the right to a safe and healthy environment at work. Work can protect mental health. Decent work supports good mental health by providing:
- a livelihood;
- a sense of confidence, purpose and achievement;
- an opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community; and
- a platform for structured routines, among many other benefits.
For people with mental health conditions, decent work can contribute to recovery and inclusion, improve confidence and social functioning.
Safe and healthy working environments are not only a fundamental right but are also more likely to minimize tension and conflicts at work and improve staff retention, work performance and productivity. Conversely, a lack of effective structures and support
at work, especially for those living with mental health conditions, can affect a person’s ability to enjoy their work and do their job well; it can undermine people’s attendance at work and even stop people getting a job in the first place.
Risks to mental health at work
At work, risks to mental health, also called psychosocial risks, may be related to job content or work schedule, specific characteristics of the workplace or opportunities for career development among other things.
Risks to mental health at work can include:
- under-use of skills or being under-skilled for work;
- excessive workloads or work pace, understaffing;
- long, unsocial or inflexible hours;
- lack of control over job design or workload;
- unsafe or poor physical working conditions;
- organizational culture that enables negative behaviours;
- limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision;
- violence, harassment or bullying;
- discrimination and exclusion;
- unclear job role;
- under- or over-training for mental health, which helps managers recognize and respond to supervisees experiencing emotional distress; builds interpersonal skills like open communication and active listening; and fosters better Health Mental work
