Psychosocial risks

In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment has actively encouraged and subsidised a sectoral approach to risk management. The overall aim has been to achieve a reduction in exposure to sector-specific psychosocial and physical risks of about 10% over a period of approximately

Within the last two decades, subjective stress has increased by about 20%. From 1987 to 2000, surveys indicate that self-reported stress rose from approximately one in three adults to nearly one in two. A recent investigation of stress, by the Danish National Institute of Social Research [1]

A team of Bulgarian experts, headed by Professor Ivanovich, department head at the National Centre of Public Health Protection [1], conducted a survey on working conditions in the banking sector, aimed at determining risk levels based on employees’ self-evaluation. A case study was carried out in

The National Research and Development Institute for Labour Protection (INCDPM) in Bucharest has published a study assessing psychological stress for operators (dispatchers) in the electricity supply sector. The study reveals that this occupation can cause particular mental stress, due to work

In the past 10-15 years, flexibility in the labour market has increased, resulting in a greater number of people in temporary work. Fixed-term contracts accounted for about 10% of the Swedish workforce in the early 1990s, rising to approximately 16% by the end of the decade. Some people are hired on

During the last two decades, the call centre industry in Denmark and in other European countries has been growing rapidly, with increased employment in the sector. This expansion represents a profound restructuring of the labour market for service and sales workers: customer services and handling of

Although there are many definitions as to what a call centre actually is, it is clear that this relatively new sector is rapidly growing. In general, one can say that a call centre is a group of people providing service at a distance using information and communication technology. Approximately 1.5%

A study carried out by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (FIOSH) [1], on Assessing the mental stress associated with flexible jobs (1.4Mb pdf; in German) [2], examines work-related mental stress factors. The report explains the screening procedure (in German) [3] used in