Psychosocial risk around the world: what global legislation reveals about the future of workplace wellbeing

Poor psychological health costs the global economy an estimated US$1 trillion each year in lost productivity. A major driver of this loss lies in unmanaged psychosocial risks, which are now among the biggest challenges to employee wellbeing.

As these risks move into the global spotlight, governments are introducing new psychosocial risk management laws, signalling that this is a core part of workplace safety. Despite this, how countries define, regulate, and enforce psychosocial risk management varies widely, and these differences shape how employers act.

Based on a global mapping exercise by Affinity Health at Work, this article explores how psychosocial risk legislation compares across regions, and how wellbeing leads can translate global lessons into practical action.