Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550,000,000 workdays lost annually because of absenteeism. Nearly half of all American workers suffer from symptoms of burnout, a disabling reaction to stress on the job. Some, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Three Mile Island nuclear disaster have direct cleanup costs of billions of dollars, not to mention environmental damage that cannot even be estimated. Workers' compensation awards for job stress, rare two decades ago, have skyrocketed and threaten to bankrupt the system in some states. Nine out of ten job stress suits are successful, with an average payout more than four times that for regular injury claims.
Workplace violence is rampant.
There are almost 2 million reported instances of homicide, aggravated assault, rape or sexual assaults. Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury and the leading cause of death for working women.