Mongolia advances action on psychosocial risks at work through new national standards

ULAANBAATAR (ILO News) — Mongolia has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling psychosocial risks at work, placing national standards at the centre of efforts to improve occupational safety and health and promote decent work.

Marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, a national forum titled “Let’s Ensure a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment” brought together representatives from government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, enterprises, occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals, researchers and international partners. The event focused on translating evidence into concrete workplace actions to better protect workers’ mental health and wellbeing.

According to the International Labour Organization's new report, more than 840,000 deaths each year are linked to psychosocial risks such as long working hours, job insecurity and workplace stress. These risks also result in economic losses estimated at 1.37 per cent of global GDP, underscoring their far-reaching impact on both workers and economies.

As the world of work continues to evolve due to digitalization, new forms of employment, demographic changes and climate pressures, psychosocial risks are becoming more complex and widespread.

Evidence from Mongolia reflects these global trends. One in four people in the country is estimated to experience a mental health condition, with anxiety, sleep disorders and chronic fatigue among the most common (Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders Study, National Center for Mental Health, 2019).

Workplace-level findings further highlight the urgency for action. A 2024 study in Mongolia’s public utilities sector found that:

• 36.2% of workers experienced psychosocial harassment
• 48.1% reported stress due to duties beyond their job descriptions

These challenges are affecting not only workers’ wellbeing, but also productivity, absenteeism and overall enterprise performance.

National standards drive practical solutions

A key outcome of the forum is the advancement of the national standard, which introduces a structured, evidence-based approach to assessing and managing psychosocial risks at work. Aligned with international practices, the standard helps organizations identify gaps between policy and actual working conditions and prioritize actions through a clear scoring system—from maintaining good practices to implementing targeted or urgent improvements—while linking results directly to practical measures such as improving workload planning, strengthening leadership and communication, and promoting work–life balance.

Participants emphasized that integrating psychosocial risk management into national OSH systems and enterprise practices is essential for long-term impact. The use of standardized tools is expected to strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve compliance with OSH regulations, enhance worker wellbeing and engagement, and increase productivity and organizational performance.

The “Let’s Ensure a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment” Forum was organized by the European Union funded ILO's Trade for Decent Work Project in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Center in Mongolia.