Workplaces are struggling to support good mental health

High work intensity coupled with limited control over one’s work, poor work-life balance and weak support from co-workers and management can all deteriorate workers’ health and well-being. At the same time, mental ill-health can have negative impacts on employees’ productivity and their participation in the labour market.

The pandemic was particularly detrimental to the mental health of many workers due to job insecurity and increased workloads in some sectors.

Changes in ways of working have also introduced new mental health challenges. While teleworking has increased flexibility and work-life balance for many, it can also worsen social isolation and impede healthy separation between work and home life.

Mental health conditions also affect how people engage with work: across OECD, almost half (47.6%) of people with such conditions were absent from work at least once over the previous year, compared with just under one-third (30.4%) of those without such conditions. In total, the labour-market costs of poor mental health exceed 1.5% of GDP across European countries.

Discover more in the report:
Promoting Health and Well-being at Work: Policy and Practices