A 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.
This April 28, 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 is well-recognised 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.
The report also recognises the implications of the changing world of work on the psychosocial work environment. Digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence are transforming how tasks are coordinated, monitored and assessed. New forms of employment, including platform work, varied contractual arrangements and the expansion of remote and hybrid work, are redefining supervision, expectations and working time. While these developments may create opportunities to strengthen the psychosocial working environment, they may also exacerbate psychosocial risks.
The true extent of the problem is still not fully understood. Data remains fragmented, and many countries lack consistent systems to identify psychosocial hazards and address their risks.
Stigma continues to silence workers who might otherwise speak out. This silence is one of the biggest barriers we face. Many fear the negative career consequences of talking about stress, burnout, anxiety or depression at work. The result is that problems remain hidden until they become crises.
But there is also reason for cautious optimism. Governments, employers and workers across the region are increasingly recognising that psychosocial hazards represent a major threat to workers' safety and health as well as organisational productivity and broader economic performance.
We are seeing this shift reflected in policy. Examples include Japan's current national occupational safety and health programme, which prioritises the prevention of overwork and mental health problems. The Republic of Korea is expanding support through workers' health centres and requiring rest facilities. Australia and New Zealand have integrated mental health into broader national strategies, while countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines are strengthening legal frameworks to address psychosocial risks at work.
The ILO's new report highlights a simple but powerful truth: psychosocial risks are not inevitable. They arise from identifiable aspects of work, excessive demands, lack of control, poor support and unfair treatment. These can all be changed, and this means prevention is possible.
Across Asia and the Pacific, promising practices are already emerging. In Singapore, tools such as iWorkHealth help companies assess workplace psychosocial factors and promote well-being. In Malaysia, guidelines on psychosocial risk management support employers in identifying and addressing risks.
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. Creating such environments requires commitment from all sides. Governments must strengthen policies and data systems. Employers must take responsibility for how work is organised and managed. Workers must be able to participate, speak up and be heard. Social dialogue is essential to making this happen.
The message for Asia and the Pacific is clear: the region's future depends not only on how much people work, but on how work is experienced every day. Behind every statistic is a worker trying to cope, to provide, to endure. Managing psychosocial risks means ensuring that work does not come at the cost of health, dignity or life itself.
A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Making that a reality is a challenge we must meet.
(The author is Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International Labour Organization)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
