According to a UN report, work claims the lives of 840,000 people every year.

The document emphasizes that these risks most often lead to cardiovascular disease and mental disorders, including suicide. ILO representative Manal Azzi noted that psychosocial threats are becoming one of the key problems of the modern labor protection system. According to her, improving the work environment is important not only for the health of employees, but also for improving the efficiency of companies and sustainable economic growth.

The report’s authors note that work plays an important role in shaping a person’s personality, social connections and financial stability. However, under unfavorable conditions, it can seriously harm health. Experts estimate that about 45 million healthy life years (DALYs) are lost each year due to these factors, and economic losses reach 1.37% of global GDP. Europe recorded more than 112 thousand deaths, almost 6 million years of life lost and a decline in GDP of 1.43%.

Although cardiovascular diseases account for the bulk of deaths, the greatest loss of healthy years is associated with mental disorders. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety disorders account for approximately 12 billion workdays lost each year. Some of the most common problems include depression, anxiety, burnout, sleep disorders and chronic fatigue. These conditions are often aggravated by bad habits: smoking, alcohol abuse, overeating and low physical activity, which increases the risk of obesity, hypertension and other chronic diseases.

The authors emphasize that unhealthy behaviors and psychosocial stress reinforce each other, worsening workers’ overall health over time. Key risk factors include long working hours, bullying, high levels of stress, discrepancies between effort and reward, job insecurity, and violence and harassment. Overtime particularly stands out: according to the ILO, about 35% of workers worldwide work more than 48 hours a week, which is directly linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.