The key facts

  • 45% of EU workers face risks to mental health at work, and 44% report severe overload or lack of time (EU-OSHA).
  • According to ETUI estimates, work-related depression costs the EU more than €100 billion a year.
  • The European Commission launched the Healthy Workplaces campaign; only 45% of workers are asked about stressful aspects of their work.

Taboo as the main obstacle

Against the backdrop of staff shortages and an ageing population, Europe's workers increasingly face mental health problems, yet the topic is still not taken seriously in the workplace, William Cockburn, Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), told Euronews. According to him, both employers and workers cite reluctance to openly discuss mental health issues as the main obstacle to real action.

Scale of the problem

According to EU-OSHA, nearly half of workers in the EU (45%) face risks to mental health at work, and about 44% report a severe lack of time or overload. Cockburn listed psychosocial risks: long working hours, high work intensity, emotionally demanding tasks, difficult relationships in the team, and in extreme cases — bullying, harassment, violence or threats of violence. According to an estimate by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), work-related depression costs the EU more than €100 billion a year, taking into account absenteeism, reduced productivity, healthcare costs and broader social costs.

Prevention at the level of working conditions

Cockburn believes that mental health problems 'need to be addressed in the same way as physical health issues at work': first assess the risks, then adapt conditions to minimise harm. Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), stressed that prevention should be built around working conditions rather than the individual: 'We do not wait for someone to lose a finger before installing protective guards.' Meanwhile, according to EU-OSHA, only 45% of workers say they are asked about the stressful aspects of their work. Cockburn recalled that worker participation is a legal requirement of European legislation and a key factor in the success of occupational safety measures.

Healthy Workplaces campaign

This week the European Commission launched the Healthy Workplaces campaign, designed to help employers prevent, assess and manage psychosocial risks at work. One of its goals is to overcome the reluctance to talk about mental health problems. At the campaign launch on Tuesday, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Jobs Roxana Mînzatu said: 'By investing in creating and maintaining a healthy working environment, we not only improve people's wellbeing, but also reduce sick leave and staff turnover, increase work efficiency and avoid placing additional strain on healthcare systems. It is a win-win situation for everyone.'