Workplace stress shows no sign of easing as employee mental injury cases continue to rise, according to Allianz.

The insurer released its latest workers’ compensation claims data today as it announced the launch of a resource hub to address staff burnout.

Active psychological claims volumes surged 28.4% in the five years to June 30. In 2020-21 mental injury cases made up 10.9% of all claims; by 2024-25, the proportion had increased to 14%.

Mental health claims cost 2.8 times more than physical injury cases, Allianz says. In 2024-25, the average cost of a mental health claim was $46,143.

Employees with active psychological claims took 81 days off work on average in 2024-25, up 10% on 2020-21.

An Allianz-commissioned survey found 59% of workers have experienced mental distress such as anxiety and burnout caused by workload pressures, “meeting overload” and unrealistic deadlines.

Mental stress and work pressure accounted for 34% of psychological claims in 2024-25.

In other key findings from the survey in July and August, 32% of respondents felt unable to take proper breaks due to their schedules, and almost 80% of employees and nearly two-thirds of managers did not think their organisations enforced good workplace habits and boundaries to reduce burnout.

Only 27% of employees had a regular schedule for personal time, while 19% said technology had made it difficult to disconnect from work when off duty.

“Our claims data tells us that mental stress and work pressure is the second-highest contributor of primary active psychological claims,” Allianz Australia personal injury EGM Mark Pittman said.

“We are all on a journey and every day we are learning more and more about supporting mental health in the workplace. While Allianz works to support injured workers who have been harmed by workplace stress, we recognise that the best outcomes are achieved through prevention.”

The insurer says its Unschedule the Burnout hub features tailored resources including video tutorials for the construction, education, healthcare and professional services industries.

“Given the surveyed employee feedback that external pressures affect their ability to focus at work, this approach goes beyond a purely workplace lens, reconsidering the established notion that burnout is caused solely by the demands of the workplace,” Allianz said.

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