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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. 

Topic

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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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From July to December 2023, Eurofound supported the work of Spain'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

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

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 (22)

Zagrożenia psychospołeczne mające wpływ na dobrostan pracowników: wnioski z pandemii COVID-19

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.

23 November 2023
Publication
Research report
Psychosocial risks
Warunki pracy i trwała praca
Health and well-being at work
Telepraca
COVID-19
Czas pracy
Discrimination at work
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Życie, praca i COVID 19 w Unii Europejskiej i 10 państwach sąsiadujących z UE

Badanie „Życie, praca i COVID 19”, przeprowadzone po raz pierwszy przez Eurofound na początku 2020 r., ma na celu uchwycenie szeroko zakrojonego wpływu pandemii na pracę i życie obywateli UE. Piąta runda badania Eurofound, która została przeprowadzona wiosną 2022 r., rzuca również światło na nową

07 December 2022
Publication
Research report
Living and working in Europe
Skills and training
Social policies
Social inclusion
Psychosocial risks
Młodzież
Working conditions
Telepraca
Subjective well-being
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
COVID-19
Warunki i jakość życia
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Piąte wydanie ankiety elektronicznej zatytułowanej „Życie, praca i COVID-19”: Życie w nowej erze niepewności

Piąta runda badania internetowego przeprowadzonego przez Eurofound w dniach 25 marca – 2 maja 2022 r. rzuca światło na sytuację społeczną i gospodarczą ludzi w całej Europie dwa lata po wykryciu COVID-19 na kontynencie europejskim. Zbadano również realia życia w nowej erze niepewności spowodowanej

07 July 2022
Publication
Research report
Stand with Ukraine
Psychosocial risks
Młodzież
Telepraca
Subjective well-being
Trust
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
Unemployment
Health and well-being at work
COVID-19
Living conditions
Warunki i jakość życia
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People with disabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey

A new European Disability Strategy was launched in 2021 with the aim of intensifying progress on ensuring the full participation of people with disabilities in society. The increase of EU policy focus on people with disabilities is timely: the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the challenges they faced in

21 March 2022
Publication
Policy brief
Public services
Psychosocial risks
Subjective well-being
Trust
Health and well-being at work
COVID-19
Disability and chronic disease
Living conditions and quality of life
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Wpływ COVID-19 na młodych ludzi w UE

Po długim okresie wychodzenia z kryzysu gospodarczego (2007–2013) młodzi ludzie w UE okazali się bardziej podatni na skutki ograniczeń wprowadzonych w celu spowolnienia rozprzestrzeniania się pandemii COVID-19. Młodzi ludzie częściej niż starsze grupy wiekowe doświadczają utraty pracy, braku

09 November 2021
Publication
Research report
Social inclusion
Quality of society
Psychosocial risks
Młodzież
Subjective well-being
Trust
Młodzież NEET
European Pillar of Social Rights
COVID-19
Warunki i jakość życia
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Życie, praca i COVID-19 (aktualizacja z kwietnia 2021 r.): zdrowie psychiczne i spadek zaufania w całej UE wraz z kolejnym rokiem pandemii

Trzeci etap e-badania Eurofoundu, przeprowadzony w lutym i marcu 2021 r., rzuca światło na sytuację społeczno-gospodarczą ludzi w całej Europie po niemal pełnym roku życia z ograniczeniami związanymi z COVID-19. W niniejszym sprawozdaniu przeanalizowano główne ustalenia i przedstawiono bieżące

10 May 2021
Publication
Research report
Living and working in Europe
Psychosocial risks
Młodzież
Telepraca
Trust
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
Health and well-being at work
COVID-19
Living conditions
Inequality
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Warunki pracy i trwała praca: Analiza z wykorzystaniem ram jakości miejsc pracy

W niniejszym sztandarowym sprawozdaniu podsumowano najważniejsze ustalenia badań na temat warunków pracy przeprowadzonych przez Eurofound w okresie programowania 2017–2020. Przedstawiono w nim postępy poczynione od 2000 r. w zakresie poprawy warunków pracy i zbadano, czy wszyscy pracownicy w równym

26 February 2021
Publication
Flagship report
Psychosocial risks
Czas pracy
Warunki pracy i trwała praca
Working conditions
Sustainable work
Undeclared work
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
Work organisation
Employment relationship
Health and well-being at work
Równouprawnienie płci
COVID-19
Jakość miejsc pracy
Starzenie się siły roboczej
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Życia i pracy w czasach COVID-19

This report presents the findings of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey, carried out by Eurofound to capture the far-reaching implications of the pandemic for the way people live and work across Europe. The survey was fielded online, among respondents who were reached via Eurofound’s

28 September 2020
Publication
Research report
Płaca i dochód
Psychosocial risks
Młodzież
Czas pracy
Warunki pracy i trwała praca
Working conditions
Telepraca
Subjective well-being
Trust
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
Unemployment
COVID-19
Living conditions
Warunki i jakość życia
Jakość miejsc pracy

Życie, praca i COVID-19: Pierwsze ustalenia – kwiecień 2020 r.

Na przestrzeni kilku tygodni pandemia COVID-19 wywołana nowym koronawirusem radykalnie zmieniła życie ludzi na całym świecie. Poza druzgocącymi skutkami dla zdrowia osób bezpośrednio dotkniętych wirusem pandemia COVID-19 miała ogromny wpływ na sposób życia i pracy ludzi, a tym samym na ich dobrostan

06 May 2020
Publication
Research report
COVID-19
Trust
Warunki i jakość życia
Płaca i dochód
Psychosocial risks
Czas pracy
Subjective well-being
Unemployment
Working conditions
Równowaga między życiem zawodowym a prywatnym
Living conditions
Telepraca
Warunki pracy i trwała praca

Burnout in the workplace: A review of data and policy responses in the EU

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
Publication
Research report
Disability and chronic disease
Health and well-being at work
Psychosocial risks
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working time
Online resources results (233)

Stress and burnout prevalent in the workplace

In 2007, data from the Slovenian Government Statistical Office (in Slovenian [1]) showed that stress and depression were the second most frequent work-related problems, just behind back pain. [1] http://www.stat.si/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=1532

29 Maj 2014
Article
Health and well-being at work
Psychosocial risks
Living conditions and quality of life
Work-life balance

Almost half of all workers subject to work-related health risks

The National Institute of Statistics (INS [1]) has published the results of an inquiry, ‘Accidents at work and work-related health problems’. The survey is a complementary module to the INS Household Labour Force Survey (AMIGO) and the data were collected during the second quarter of 2013. [1] http

4 Maj 2014
Article
Health and well-being at work
Psychosocial risks

Better ‘workability’ means longer careers

Every three years, the Foundation for Innovation and Labour [1], part of the Flemish Social-Economic Council (SERV [2]), carries out a survey of attitudes towards work in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The results are used to assess the ‘workability’ of jobs in the region. The survey was first

10 Kwiecień 2014
Article
Ageing workforce
Job quality
Psychosocial risks
Living conditions and quality of life
Skills and training
Work-life balance

Improving the psychosocial work environment for state church employees

The Danish state church is unique as a workplace. For many employees, the decision to take a job working for the church is based purely on faith and values. The primary task of the church – to preach Christianity – is also one of faith and values.

3 Kwiecień 2014
Article
Psychosocial risks

Law on work-related stress in need of updating

Stress-related illnesses associated with work and working conditions are increasing in Sweden. A report by the Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment (SBU [1]), The importance of working environment for symptoms of depression and chronic fatigue syndrome (in Swedish) [2], says the number of

25 Marzec 2014
Article
Psychosocial risks

Risk of burn-out among medical staff

A study has looked at the risk of ‘burn-out’ among medical staff in Belgian hospitals. The research was commissioned by the Belgian Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue [1] and the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment [2]. The study, which

9 Marzec 2014
Article
Psychosocial risks
Working time
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

How a lack of workplace ‘fairness’ can cause depression

A new Danish study has investigated the effects of low levels of organisational justice at the workplace on the risk of depression (Grynderup, Mors, Hansen et al, 2013). A total of 4,237 public employees from 378 work units in Denmark were enrolled at baseline in 2007 from the Danish PRISME project

5 Marzec 2014
Article
Psychosocial risks

Personal relations at work no. 1 cause of stress

A survey on work-related stress was carried out in the Czech Republic in June 2013 by market research agency GfK [1]. A representative sample of 800 interviewees aged 18–65 was interviewed using the computer assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method. The survey focused on the incidence of work-related

2 Marzec 2014
Article
Psychosocial risks

Managers thrive on good working conditions

Managers play an important role in the workplace, influencing attitudes, working conditions and productivity. Managers are often responsible for the working environment of their subordinates, but it can sometimes be unclear who takes responsibility for the working environment of the managers.

19 Styczeń 2014
Article
Skills and training
Psychosocial risks

Structural change creates more low-skilled jobs and worker dissatisfaction

A new report published by Italy’s National Institute for Statistics (Istat [1]) in cooperation with Italy’s tripartite National Economics and Labour Council (Cnel [2]) looks at the health and well-being of workers in Italy. The 2013 Equitable and sustainable well-being report (BES) [3] attempts to

19 Grudzień 2013
Article
Psychosocial risks
Blogs results (5)
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No one left behind? Gender segregation in the workplace sees women losing out

'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 Marzec 2023
Mary McCaughey
Blog
Psychosocial risks
Health and well-being at work
Gender equality
Employment and labour markets
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Violence in the workplace: Women and frontline workers face higher risks

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

27 luty 2023
Viginta Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė
Blog
Psychosocial risks
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Subjective well-being
Health and well-being at work
A worker sitting on the floor

Job quality is pivotal in addressing today’s workplace and societal challenges

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 Styczeń 2023
Barbara Gerstenberger
Blog
Pay and income
Psychosocial risks
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Subjective well-being
Health and well-being at work
Job quality
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High risk of depression persists following COVID-19 pandemic: Data behind the mental health crisis

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 Październik 2022
Eurofound
Blog
Living and working in Europe
Psychosocial risks
Health and well-being at work
COVID-19
Living conditions and quality of life
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COVID-19 fallout takes a higher toll on women, economically and domestically

​​​​​​​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

3 Czerwiec 2020
Massimiliano Mascherini
Blog
COVID-19
Psychosocial risks
Living conditions and quality of life
Unemployment
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Teleworking
Upcoming publications results (1)

ICT-based asocial behaviours at work: a review of research findings, policies and legislation

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
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Digitalisation
Health and well-being at work
Psychosocial risks
Working conditions and sustainable work

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