123 - Impact of Global Mental Health in the Workplace

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 confirmed that a large proportion of the world's disease burden is attributable to mental disorders. According to the ILO, mental health at work has a huge impact on society and the world of work, with 12 billion working days lost every year due to depression and anxiety. In recent years, several countries adopted labor laws on worker rights to occupational mental health, including provision of a safe and healthy workplace, and requiring employers to have a policy in place for the prevention of psychological risks in the work environment. Some regulations obligate employers to address work-related psychological risks that may trigger anxiety, depression, sleep and stress disorders. In some countries, certain mental conditions can be defined as being work related. Other regulations enforce employers to refer employees to receive medical or other professional evaluation and treatment for work-related mental conditions. U.S. based companies need to familiarize themselves with several of the country-specific labor laws on worker mental health.