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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)

Impact of high job strain on health over time

The doctoral thesis on /Psychosocial job stress in relation to health/ (2007) by Els Clays from the University of Ghent, Belgium, aimed to examine the perception of psychosocial job stress in relation to health outcomes within the longitudinal Belstress (in Dutch) [1] study. In terms of methodology

Wide disparities in risk exposure and negative health outcomes

The National Surveillance System for Work Environment and Occupational Health (Nasjonal overvåking av arbeidsmiljø og -helse, NOA [1]) was established in Norway in 2006. Its first comprehensive report or fact book (in Norwegian) [2] on the status of and trends in the work environment and

ILO underlines need to promote equality at work

In May 2007, the International Labour Organization (ILO [1]) published the second Global Report on discrimination as part of the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work [2]. The report, entitled Equality at work: Tackling the challenges (1.7Mb PDF) [3], examines

Reduction in occupational injuries at the workplace

The Health at Work Observatory (Observatorio de Salud Laboral [1]) is a joint initiative promoted by the Trade Union Institute for Labour, Health and Social Affairs (Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Ambiente y Salud, Istas [2]), the Mutual Insurance Group (Unión de Mutuas [3]) and the Pompeu Fabra

Survey highlights rise in psychosocial demands at work

The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, formerly the National Institute of Occupational Health, has conducted the fourth Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS) covering the five-year period 2000–2005. The 2005 results indicate no clear trend of overall better or worse

Workers in contact with public more exposed to aggression

In 2003, some 70.9% of employees – representing 63% of male employees and 80% of female employees – reported working in contact with customers, clients, patients, students or other members of the public. This total compared with 63.3% of employees in 1994 when the previous SUMER (/Surveillance

New tools to monitor occupational health hazards

The French Institute for Health Surveillance (Institut de veille sanitaire, InVS [1]) is a governmental organisation reporting to the Ministry of Health, Youth and Sport (Ministère de la santé, de la Jeunesse et des Sports [2]). Over the past 10 years, InVS has developed a comprehensive programme of

Working conditions in corporate consultancy

Corporate consultancy is a typical field of so-called post-Taylorist work forms. Despite its economic importance today, not much evidence exists concerning the working conditions in the sector. In 2005 and 2006, the Working Life Research Centre (Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt, FORBA [1]

Stress prevention initiatives need to be evaluated

In Denmark, stress has a high priority status on the public agenda. Much research has been carried out and it is estimated that about 10%–12% of the employees are seriously stressed (DK0704019I [1]). Despite the issue of stress becoming an increased problem among employees, no national strategy has

School-to-work transition of young people

In October 2006, the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC [1]) published a report (876Kb PDF) [2] on how young people in Malta deal with the transition from school to employment. The report is based on several sources, including a survey carried out among 497 young people who have undergone the


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
Data results (20)

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