Protecting mental health in a diverse and ever-changing workplace – Managing psychosocial risks

When?

26 September 2023 - 27 September 2023

Where?

Toledo, Toledo, ES

Organised by

Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union; Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy

Event background

The conference addresses the topic of psychosocial risks and challenges to mental health in the workplace.

Representatives of EU institutions, European and national social partners, along with experts from EU agencies and academics participate in parallel and plenary sessions focusing on a range of areas: guidelines on mental health at work; the situations of particular sectors such as health, care, education, and agriculture; and the impact of digitalisation in the workplace.

A presentation by Senior Research Manager Agnès Parent-Thirion and Research Manager Oscar Vargas Llave on trends in psychosocial risks and policies to address them, drawing on ongoing research and analysis by Eurofound, is available for download below.

Presentation - Psychosocial risks: Trends and policies

PDF document

Agenda

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Psychosocial risks to workers' well-being: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychosocial risks represent a major challenge to the health and well-being of workers in the EU. While the COVID-19 pandemic intensified some of these risks, it also increased awareness of them among policymakers. Using data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 and building on a theoretical model that differentiates between job stressors and job resources, this report examines key psychosocial risks in the workplace and their impact on health. It also assesses job characteristics that could help to protect workers’ health and well-being in post-pandemic workplaces. While the prevalence of psychosocial risks varies across the Member States, work–life interference and work intensity are the most widespread risks in the EU, and the prevalence of the latter increased during the pandemic. Job stressors such as adverse social behaviour and job insecurity continue to be experienced by a significant proportion of workers in the EU. Although resources are available to combat some risks, these may not be sufficient, and preventive policies need to be implemented to prevent risks from arising in the first place.

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