Fact-Finding seminar addressing psychosocial aspects and risks at work BRUSSELS – 23rd November 2020

In the framework of the European Social Dialogue Work Programme 2019-2021, the European social partners, ETUC and BusinessEurope, SGI Europe (formerly CEEP) and SMEunited have decided to organise a fact-finding seminar addressing psychosocial aspects and risks at work on 23 November 2020.

 

Background

Psychosocial risks are among the most challenging and growing health and safety concerns at work. They impact not only workers (e.g. stress, burnout) but also companies (e.g. staff turnover, absenteeism,) and the society as a whole (e.g. cost of long-term absenteeism, health care expenditure). Factors that can affect psychosocial aspects of health at the workplace could be linked to workload, work content, working time, working conditions, communication or work organisation and others originating outside the working environment. Previous social partners’ joint initiatives have resulted in two autonomous framework agreements – the first on stress at the workplace in 2004 and the second on violence and harassment at work in 2007. Taking these into account, this seminar aims to refine a common understanding to support workers and enterprises and their representatives,  at national, sectoral and enterprise level , to identify recent developments and main issues in relation with psycho-social risks at work. In this respect it will be important to draw some lessons from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on psychosocial health risks at the workplace, for instance in terms of the extended use of telework and the blurring boundaries of working time and space.

 

Seminar’s objectives

  • Raise awareness of the problem of psychosocial risks for employers and workers, both in terms of the health of workers and economic impact;
  • Look at the challenges of dealing with this issue at the workplace;
  • Exchange information on concrete solutions at national, sectoral and enterprise level, led by or including involvement of social partners, to address psychosocial risks at work, in particular outcomes of collective bargaining, from consultations with social partners, and enterprise level initiatives, with the aim of inspiring other regions, sectors and companies.

 

Documents