Workplace stress costs Portuguese companies 13.3 billion euros annually

Workplace stress and psychological health issues are costing Portuguese companies an estimated 13.3 billion euros annually in lost productivity, according to a new report by the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (OPP). This figure represents approximately 36 million euros per day, or 1.5 million euros per hour, throughout the year.

The economic impact has grown significantly, rising from an estimated 3.2 billion euros in 2020 to 5.3 billion in 2022, before reaching the current 13.3 billion euro mark in 2024. This loss accounts for roughly 2.1% of the total turnover of Portuguese companies and represents about 13.5% of total annual expenditure on salaries and social charges, a figure that rises to 16.5% for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A major driver of these costs is presenteeism, where employees are physically present but unable to work effectively due to exhaustion or lack of concentration. The report notes that in 2024, the average worker lost approximately 13.5 days of productivity due to these issues. The OPP describes these figures as a conservative estimate, as the study excludes the public administration and only considers non-financial companies and indirect costs related to absenteeism and presenteeism.