Mental stress costs Australian businesses $10 billion per year
PrintMental stress is wrecking havoc upon the nation’s businesses, with the costs associated with work-related mental stress and associated costs ballooning out to over $10 billion per year according to the latest findings released by Safe Work Australia.
Based on compensation claims data from 2008 through to 2011, the report includes comparisons of rates of mental stress claims across industry sectors and occupations for male and female workers but does not distinguish between public and private sector workers.
In releasing the Incidence of accepted workers’ compensation claims for mental stress report Safe Work Australia Chair, Ann Sherry AO highlighted the increasing concern in workplaces about work-related mental stress.
“The personal impact of mental stress on workers is a serious and detrimental issue the worker and their families and also employers,” revealed Ms Sherry.
“Typically mental stress claims result in workers being absent from the workplace for long periods of time.
“The loss of productivity and absence of workers is costing Australian businesses more than $10 billion per year.”
The report shows the highest rates of mental stress claims were by workers with high levels of responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of others or workers at risk in dangerous situations. These jobs include train drivers and assistants, police officers, prison officers, ambulance officers and paramedics.
Other key findings of the report are:
- mental stress claims are the most expensive form of workers’ compensation claim. These claims result in workers often being absent from work for extended periods.
- mental stress claims are predominantly made by women
- more professionals make claims for mental stress than any other occupation. A third of these claims are due to work pressure
- the hazards resulting in mental stress claims vary with worker age. Younger workers are more likely to make claims as a result of exposure to workplace or occupational violence. Work pressure is the main cause of mental stress claims for older workers
- women were around three times more likely than men to make a workers’ compensation claim as a result of work-related harassment or workplace bullying, and
- work pressure was stated as the cause of the majority of claims in industries with the highest claim rates.
“These findings highlight why it is necessary for employers to be aware of stress-related issues and improve current work practices to decrease unnecessary stress in the workplace,” said Ms Sherry.
The full report can be found here