Workplace bullying and toxic behaviour are raising fresh concerns over the state of mental health in Fiji’s workplaces, with calls for urgent action to address psychosocial risks.

Workers and employers are being reminded that ensuring a healthy psychosocial working environment is not just a slogan, but a critical responsibility.

Occupational Health and Safety Board member Muniappa Goundar says the issue can no longer be ignored, as workplace pressures continue to intensify across sectors.

He stressed that work must not come at the cost of people’s health, dignity, or lives particularly as modern workplaces become increasingly fast-paced, demanding, and unforgiving.

Goundar says while physical safety remains a key focus, psychosocial hazards are still dangerously overlooked in many workplaces.

“While we speak often about physical safety, we remain dangerously silent on psychosocial hazards. That is the silent injuries of the modern workplace. These are not abstract ideas. I repeat, these are not abstract ideas. They are real. They are present. And in Fiji, they are too often dismissed as just part of the job.”

He says these hazards are closely linked to how work is designed, managed, and experienced pointing to excessive workloads, unclear job expectations, toxic supervision, job insecurity, and lack of support as key risk factors that can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and even cardiovascular disease.

Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh says workplace bullying and the use of foul language must never be tolerated, warning that psychosocial risks are now globally recognised as leading causes of work-related stress, burnout, and mental health challenges.

He adds that workplace stress is emerging as a major occupational risk in Fiji, with growing concerns over its impact on productivity and worker wellbeing.

This year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work theme “Ensuring a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment” highlights the urgent need for stronger workplace policies, improved management practices, and better support systems for workers.