Nearly the 25% of the total EU MFF burnt for mental problems. Now the European Commission tries to reverse this huge anti-economic trend
by Emanuele Bonini
Europe got stressed. Mental exhaustion is the second most frequently reported work-related problem after musculoskeletal disorders, and according to a study realised by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) the total costs of mental health disorders in Europe (both work and non-work related) is estimated at 240 billion Euros per year. To have a better idea of what it means all that, it has to be said 240 billion Euros are nearly one fourth of the total amount of the current multi-annual financial framework (908 billion), the EU budget covering the 2014-2020 period. Less than half this 240 billion sum stems from direct costs such as medical treatment, with 136 billion Euros due to lost productivity, including sick-leave absenteeism. This figure was offered by the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) during the launch of the campaign for managing stress and psychosocial risks at work. Due to the dimension of this phenomenon, now it is time to take counter-measures, inverting a trend which is unsustainable both for people and for economy. A study realised by the British government shows that only in the United Kingdom it is estimated that around 9,8 million working days were lost during 2009-2010 because of work-related stress, and workers were absent for, on average, 22,6 days. We are not talking about an isolate case: in France - revealed a report from the National Institute for Research and Safety - the national costs of occupational stress were estimated at between 2 and 3 billion Euros in 2007. So, Europe lost and continues to loose competitiveness because just because of stress.
To try to find a solution the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) launched a public campaign intending provide useful information in order to tackle this problem and prevent new stress cases at work. The campaign aims to help employers’ and workers’ representatives, managers and workers to identify and manage stress and psychological, physical and social risks in the workplace. It also promotes the use of simple tools which can help organisations to effectively manage such risks. Reducing stress at work helps to create a healthy work environment in which workers feel valued, where the workplace culture is more positive, and, consequently, business productivity improves. «Today the 80% of managers in Europe are concerned about stress at work, but less than 30% of organisations have in place the right procedures to manage it», told reporters EU-OSHA director Christa Sedlatschek. «The economic impact on businesses and on social protection systems is huge because stress-related health problems increase absenteeism and lower productivity», added the European commissioner for Employment and social affairs, Laszlo Andor. «Addressing stress and psychosocial risks is one of the challenges addressed by the forthcoming EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020, due to be presented in June».
Europe got stressed. Mental exhaustion is the second most frequently reported work-related problem after musculoskeletal disorders, and according to a study realised by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) the total costs of mental health disorders in Europe (both work and non-work related) is estimated at 240 billion Euros per year. To have a better idea of what it means all that, it has to be said 240 billion Euros are nearly one fourth of the total amount of the current multi-annual financial framework (908 billion), the EU budget covering the 2014-2020 period. Less than half this 240 billion sum stems from direct costs such as medical treatment, with 136 billion Euros due to lost productivity, including sick-leave absenteeism. This figure was offered by the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) during the launch of the campaign for managing stress and psychosocial risks at work. Due to the dimension of this phenomenon, now it is time to take counter-measures, inverting a trend which is unsustainable both for people and for economy. A study realised by the British government shows that only in the United Kingdom it is estimated that around 9,8 million working days were lost during 2009-2010 because of work-related stress, and workers were absent for, on average, 22,6 days. We are not talking about an isolate case: in France - revealed a report from the National Institute for Research and Safety - the national costs of occupational stress were estimated at between 2 and 3 billion Euros in 2007. So, Europe lost and continues to loose competitiveness because just because of stress.
To try to find a solution the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) launched a public campaign intending provide useful information in order to tackle this problem and prevent new stress cases at work. The campaign aims to help employers’ and workers’ representatives, managers and workers to identify and manage stress and psychological, physical and social risks in the workplace. It also promotes the use of simple tools which can help organisations to effectively manage such risks. Reducing stress at work helps to create a healthy work environment in which workers feel valued, where the workplace culture is more positive, and, consequently, business productivity improves. «Today the 80% of managers in Europe are concerned about stress at work, but less than 30% of organisations have in place the right procedures to manage it», told reporters EU-OSHA director Christa Sedlatschek. «The economic impact on businesses and on social protection systems is huge because stress-related health problems increase absenteeism and lower productivity», added the European commissioner for Employment and social affairs, Laszlo Andor. «Addressing stress and psychosocial risks is one of the challenges addressed by the forthcoming EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020, due to be presented in June».
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