Day of Mourning: Psychological health and safety is a workplace crisis we can’t ignore
Psychological health and safety is occupational health and safety. A workplace injury is a workplace injury—whether it is physical or psychological—and both must be prevented and treated. But too often, work-related stress, burnout, harassment, and violence are dismissed as “just part of the job.” They are not. These harms are real, they are preventable, and they are affecting workers at an alarming scale.
On April 28—the National Day of Mourning—workers across Canada come together to remember those killed, injured or made ill from incidents in the world of work, and to recommit to fighting for all workers’ safety and wellbeing. This year, we are shining a light on the growing toll of workplace stress, burnout, and psychological injuries, and honouring those we have lost by suicide and other means, including workers whose lives were taken by work-related psychological harm. In Canada, psychological health and illness are now the number one cause of disability.
“Workers are already bearing the weight of the ongoing affordability crisis, a trade war that no one asked for and mounting geopolitical instability. The news cycle reminds us daily of the pressure workers are feeling: rent is unaffordable, groceries cost too much, public services are stretched thin, and job security is increasingly fragile,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Going to work should not add significant stress to workers’ lives, and yet almost half of workers report that their job is the most stressful part of their day. This is completely unacceptable. This is not about individual resilience; it is about workplace conditions and the fundamental responsibility of employers to ensure the health and safety of workers.”
The reality facing workers is urgent. Indeed, nearly half of workers say their job is the most stressful part of their day. In 2023 alone, more than 8,500 workplace mental health injury claims were accepted by compensation boards, but the true number is far higher, as many cases go unreported.
The most affected sectors include health care, education, public services, and the skilled trades: sectors where workers are under increasing pressure due to understaffing, high workloads, and exposure to violence and harassment.
“Every worker in Canada has the right to safe work—both physically and psychologically,” said Bruske. “We know how to control physical hazards in the workplace. We must treat psychosocial hazards with the same seriousness as any other workplace hazard; no different than working at heights or exposure to toxic substances. Every workplace should have a plan to identify risks, prevent harm, and protect workers’ psychological health and safety.”
Psychological health and safety is already recognized in law across Canada, and Canada has ratified ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work. Canada’s unions are calling on all levels of government to act: to treat psychological health with the same urgency as physical health in occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation systems; to implement a national approach to preventing psychosocial hazards based on CSA Z1003; to require proactive risk assessments and prevention plans; and to ensure strong enforcement through inspections.
“Workers are being asked to carry more and more, while supports fall behind,” said Bruske. “Work should not make people sick. No one should have to sacrifice their mental health to earn a living. Employers have a responsibility to make work safe, for both body and mind.”
