Stress at work costs EUR 1.5 million per hour to businesses

ANDthis impact corresponds to about 36 million euros per day, or 1.5 million euros per hour, every day of the year, according to an estimate presented in the new report “Prosperity and Sustainability of Organizations – Report on the Cost of Stress and Psychological Health Problems at Work in Portugal”, by the Portuguese Psychologists Order.

According to the report, this figure has more than four years. In 2020, the estimated productivity loss was EUR 3.2 billion, a figure of 5.3 billion in 2022 and EUR 13.3 billion in 2024.

“In total, it is estimated that the cost of the loss of productivity associated with stress and psychological health problems corresponds to about 2.1% of the turnover of Portuguese companies,” says Lusa.

The figure also amounts to around 13.5% of all the annual expenditure of these companies on wages and other social charges, reaching approximately 16.5% in SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).

The OPP stresses that it is a “conservative estimate of the universe of costs considered”, since the calculation covers only non-financial companies, excludes the Public Administration and considers only indirect costs associated with absenteeism and presentism.

The estimate also indicates that, in 2024, each worker missed, on average, 13.5 days a year due to stress and psychological health problems. These are added up to 27 days of presentism, situations where the person is working, but with their productivity reduced due to health problems.

“ Together, there are up to 40.5 working days per worker per year affected by stress and psychological health problems. In 2020, the estimated values were 6.2 days of absenteeism and 12.4 days of presentism,” notes the OPP, noting that from the EUR 13.3 billion of estimated productivity loss to 2024, around 4.4 billion are due to absenteeism and 8.9 billion of presentism

The study argues that it would be possible to avoid losses close to EUR 4 billion per year, assuming that measures to promote psychological health, prevention and early identification of problems can reduce these losses by at least 30%.

For the OPP bastonary, Sofia Ramalho, these figures show that one cannot continue “to treat stress and psychological health problems at work as an inevitable cost of working”.

“ We are facing human, organizational and economic losses of a dimension that the country cannot ignore. We know that a significant part of these losses can be prevented”, said Sofia Ramalho, quoted in a statement accompanying the report, which will be presented today at the 7th Congress of the OPP in Coimbra.

For the baston, “intentionally investing in physically and psychologically healthy workplaces and well-being promoters is investing in people, but it is also a decision of management, productivity and sustainability.”.

The evidence gathered in the report also shows that investment in this area can have significant economic return, referring to studies that point to 5 euros of return for each euro invested in psychological health, with interventions whose estimated return exceeds 9 euros per euro invested.

“ Psychological health at work is not just a matter of well-being or health. It is also a question of productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of organizations. And, on the scale of these figures, an economic issue for the country,” the PPO points out.

The document presents a set of recommendations to organisations and leaders and decision-makers to prevent these risks.

Among the main measures are the regular assessment of psychosocial risks, the integration of work psychologists in organizations and the implementation of actions to prevent and promote psychological health.

The report also advocates strengthening healthy organizational leadership and cultures, involving workers in defining solutions and integrating well-being into the strategic objectives of companies.

It recommends strengthening policies to prevent psychosocial risks and promote mental health at work.