ILO’s Khalid Hassan warns of hidden workplace stress in Philippines

A growing global workplace crisis is coming into sharper focus, as new findings from the International Labour Organization warn that psychosocial risks at work are contributing to more than 840,000 deaths each year.

The report highlights how poorly designed jobs, marked by long hours, job insecurity, excessive workloads, and workplace harassment, are driving a rise in cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders, and even suicide. These risks, often invisible, operate across job design, workplace management, and broader labour policies, creating what experts describe as a “hidden cost” of modern work.

Adding regional context, Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, has underscored the urgency of addressing these risks, particularly in labour markets where vulnerabilities are widespread.

In an opinion piece marking World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Hassan stressed that workplace safety must extend beyond physical hazards to include stress, isolation, job insecurity, and exposure to violence or coercion.

“The issue is not simply how many jobs we create, but the conditions under which people work,” he wrote, pointing to sectors such as fishing, aquaculture, and mining, where workers often face long, unpredictable hours and economic pressure in isolated environments.

Drawing on the ILO’s global findings, Hassan noted that psychosocial risks are linked not only to declining health but also to broader labour challenges. 

He also highlighted how these risks can intersect with more severe issues, including forced labour and child labour. 

“Psychosocial risks are not only about stress, they are part of the pathway that can lead to forced labour and child labour,” Hassan warned, particularly in informal and weakly regulated sectors.

The ILO report further finds that high job strain, where intense demands meet low control, alongside effort–reward imbalances and job insecurity, are key drivers of health deterioration. 

Workers exposed to chronic stress are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, metabolic conditions, and sleep disorders, many of which remain unrecognised as work-related.

Strengthening labour inspection systems, improving reporting mechanisms, and extending protections to informal workers will be critical to closing this gap.

Importantly, he stressed that psychosocial risks are not inevitable. “They arise from how work is designed and managed,” he said, calling for reforms such as fair working hours, realistic demands, and stronger support systems.

As global supply chains and investor expectations increasingly scrutinise labour conditions, Hassan warned that addressing these risks is no longer optional. Ensuring safe, dignified work, he argued, is essential not only for worker well-being but also for economic resilience and international credibility.