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Psychosocial risks

Psychosocial risks are aspects of the design and management of work, and its social and organisational contexts, that have the potential for causing psychological or physical harm. Work-related stress is one of the health risks most frequently identified by workers in Europe. The factors that can cause stress for workers and influence their health and well-being can be related to the following: job content; work intensity and job autonomy; working time arrangements and work–life balance; social environment, including interpersonal relationships at work and social support; job insecurity and career development. 

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From January to June 2024, Eurofound supports the work of Belgium's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

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Definitions

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Sara Riso is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is involved in research projects in the areas of employment change and restructuring. She joined...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Oscar Vargas Llave

Oscar Vargas Llave is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and manages projects on changes in the world of work and the impact on working conditions and related...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (23)

This report looks at the extent of burnout experienced by workers in the EU, based on national research. As a starting point, the report sets out to consider whether burnout is viewed as a medical or occupational disease. It then examines the work determinants associated with burnout and looks at

10 September 2018

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on health and well-being in the EU from Q2 2014 to Q1 2015 – primarily in terms of improving the psychosocial work environment. In terms of psychosocial risks, some European countries have made progress towards a culture of

28 April 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on health and well-being in workplaces in the EU during the first quarter of 2014. Physical and psychosocial risk factors, work-related health and well-being outcomes, violence and harassment at work and occupational health and

18 February 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on aspects of health and well-being during the third quarter of 2014. Mental health of employees, psychosocial problems caused by working conditions and legislation to help reduce stress in the workplace are the main focus of

18 February 2015

Acknowledging the complexity of the relationship between health and work, the report presents comparative information on the prevalence of psychosocial risks among workers and examines the associations between these risks and health and well-being. It also looks at the extent to which establishments

17 October 2014

Violence at work can manifest itself in many ways. The variety of negative behaviour covered under the general umbrella term of workplace violence is so large and diverse that it makes it difficult to adopt a unified and integrated approach dealing with all the forms of workplace violence

08 April 2014

This report looks at industrial relations practices regarding health and safety strategies in the European steel sector. The findings are based on desk research and a comparative analysis of company practices in three company case studies: ArcelorMittal in France, Rautaruukki in Finland and

08 April 2014

The health and well-being of individuals are two dimensions around which researchers and policymakers are re-arranging the debate on how to foster the progress of societies. Health and well-being have an intrinsic value, which should be part of the very definition of progress, and also a societal

15 May 2013

Data presented in this report support and complement previous analyses on quality of working life in Slovenia, which indicated increasing work intensity in Slovenian companies over the last decade. The report is based both on analysis of the standard European Working Conditions Survey questionnaire

24 September 2012

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at the relationship between work and health, using first findings from Eurofound’s fifth European Working Conditions Survey which was launched on 16 and 17 November 2010 under the Belgian EU presidency. With the additional support of the European Commission, the

29 March 2011

Online resources results (233)

Caring professions at risk of job burnout

The work@social [1] interest group (/Interessengemeinschaft/) of the Union of Salaried Employees, Printing Workers and Journalists (Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten, Druck, Journalismus, Papier, GPA-DJP [2]) commissioned a a survey on job burnout. The study was coordinated by the human resource

Occupational differences in incidence of conflicts and bullying

Conflicts and bullying at work have been frequently discussed in the Norwegian media over the past year. When these topics are presented, the research often offers an insight into single cases of conflict or bullying, rather than presenting an overall picture of the situation in workplaces. In 2007

Generational differences in attitudes towards work

An EU-funded research project, called the ‘Generational approach to the social patterns of the relation to work’ (SPReW [1]), focuses on the factors leading to either solidarity or tensions in intergenerational relations in the area of work. The research attempts to provide a better understanding of

Factors determining rate of employee turnover in companies

In 2007, the Lithuanian Labour Exchange (Lietuvos darbo birža, LDB [1]) commissioned a survey to analyse the most important factors influencing the turnover of employees in Lithuanian enterprises. Two groups of respondents were interviewed within the framework of the survey, comprising: [1] http:/

Study examines views of women and men at work

‘Women and men in organisations’ was a survey conducted on behalf of the Centre for Partnership and Equality (Centrul Parteneriat pentru Egalitate, CPE [1]) by the Institute of Marketing and Polls (Institutul de Marketing şi Sondaje, IMAS [2]) during the period of March–April 2006. The population

High incidence of truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel

Between 2005 and 2007, the Department of Public Health [1] in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Ghent University [2] conducted an epidemiological study (in Dutch, 525Kb PDF) [3] on the sleeping and driving habits of Flemish truck drivers. [1] http://www.ugent.be/en/departments?ugentid

Positive effects of anonymous job applications

For some time, several municipal and governmental bodies have applied, to various extents, anonymous job application procedures in their recruitment. So far, the actual impact of such anonymous job applications is not well known although the idea is supported both in theory and practicse.

Wide differences among workplaces in quality of working life

The Finnish Working Life Barometer 2007 (in Finnish, 471Kb PDF) [1], monitored by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö, TEM [2]), is the 16th national barometer measuring annual changes in working life. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were carried out among

Social workers subject to intense work pace and stress levels

In recent years, several studies on the work environment have been carried out by the Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket, WEA [1]) based on interviews and reported cases of work-related diseases: Work-related disorders 2006 (in Swedish) [2], Occupational accidents and work-related

High level of perceived risk among call centre operators

The call centre industry is growing rapidly in Italy: the customer relationship management (CRM) group Customer Management Multimedia Competence estimates that some 250,000 operators are employed in 1,400 companies. Call centres are currently perceived as the archetype of a post-industrial society


Blogs results (5)
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'Women belong in all the places where decisions are made', to borrow from the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. These decisions are made everywhere and at every level: in the home and at the workplace; in the boardroom and on the shop floor. Which is why it is of such serious concern to see the ongoing deep

8 March 2023
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Women and frontline workers are most exposed to the risks of adverse social behaviour at work, such as burnout, exhaustion, anxiety and depression. This is according to the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS). In this data story, we dive into EWCTS data (EU27) to examine the

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. With the lifting of restrictions across the globe, we are now able to examine the many repercussions on the world of work. In particular, the unique demands of the last few years have shone a harsh spotlight on the pressures brought to bear

17 January 2023
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Lower levels of health, increasing financial pressure and a significant degree of unmet healthcare: these are the findings of the fifth round of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey: Living in a new era of uncertainty – a report that presents an overview of responses from over 200,000 people

6 October 2022
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​​​​​​​While women appear to be more resilient than men to COVID-19 in terms of health outcomes, that is not the case when it comes to the economic and social fallout. Measures taken by governments to control the spread of the virus are exacerbating gender divides in unemployment, domestic labour

Upcoming publications results (1)

Over the last decade, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the way employees work and communicate with each other. Despite the many benefits of digitalisation of work, the widespread access to digital devices in working life provides an alternative medium for new forms of a

September 2024

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