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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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Definitions

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Sara Riso joined Eurofound in 2006 and is currently a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. She is engaged in research projects focusing on digitalisation and working...

Senior 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 (25)

The scale of undeclared care work (paid care work that is lawful but not declared to public authorities) in the EU is considerable. Recent estimates suggest that 6.8 million undeclared workers provide care or household services across the EU, with 2.1 million specifically in the care sector.

25 March 2025

Over the last decade, information and communication technologies have changed the way employees work and communicate with each other. While the digitalisation of work offers many benefits, widespread access to digital devices in working life has created new forms of antisocial behaviour.

25 September 2024

During the pandemic, many young people had to change their plans for the future. While at the end of 2023 young people’s labour market situation was more favourable than it had been in recent years, many obstacles remained on their route to independence, such as the rising cost of living and

21 May 2024

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

Die Erhebung „Leben, Arbeiten und COVID-19“, die erstmals Anfang 2020 von Eurofound lanciert wurde, zielt darauf ab, die weitreichenden Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf die Arbeit und das Leben der Bürgerinnen und Bürger der EU zu erfassen. In der fünften Runde der Eurofound-Umfrage, die im Frühjahr

07 December 2022

Die fünfte Runde der elektronischen Erhebung von Eurofound, die vom 25. März bis zum 2. Mai 2022 durchgeführt wurde, gibt Aufschluss über die soziale und wirtschaftliche Lage der Menschen in Europa zwei Jahre, nachdem COVID-19 erstmals auf dem europäischen Kontinent nachgewiesen wurde. Außerdem wird

07 July 2022

2021 wurde eine neue Strategie für die Rechte von Menschen mit Behinderungen auf den Weg gebracht, mit der die Entwicklungen im Bereich der vollen Teilhabe von Menschen mit Behinderungen an der Gesellschaft vorangebracht werden sollen. Dass die EU ihren politischen Fokus auf Menschen mit

21 March 2022

Nach einer langwierigen Erholung von der Wirtschaftskrise (2007–2013) haben sich die jungen Menschen in der EU anfälliger für die Auswirkungen der zur Eindämmung der COVID-19-Pandemie eingeführten Beschränkungen gezeigt. Im Vergleich zu Gruppen von Menschen höheren Alters waren junge Menschen

09 November 2021

Die dritte Runde der elektronischen Erhebung von Eurofound, die im Februar und März 2021 durchgeführt wurde, gibt Aufschluss über die soziale und wirtschaftliche Situation der Menschen in Europa, nachdem sie fast ein ganzes Jahr lang mit den coronabedingten Einschränkungen gelebt haben. In diesem

10 May 2021

In diesem richtungsweisenden Bericht werden die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse aus den Forschungsarbeiten von Eurofound zu den Arbeitsbedingungen im Programmplanungszeitraum 2017-2020 zusammengefasst. Es werden die seit 2000 erzielten Fortschritte bei der Verbesserung der Arbeitsbedingungen dargestellt

26 February 2021

Online resources results (236)

Belgium: New legislation on preventing psychosocial risks

Belgium has a strong record when it comes to regulations relating to the well-being of employees in the workplace. Recently, steps have been taken to tighten up the rules when it comes to issues around psychosocial risks to workers, but employers fear changes have gone too far.

Impact of electronic surveillance in the workplace

An unpublished qualitative study on electronic monitoring (EM) systems in the workplace was conducted in 2013 by Christine Garzia. The research formed part of her MSc in Occupational Psychology with Birkbeck University [1] in London. [1] http://www.bbk.ac.uk/front-page

Measures to tackle absenteeism and stress at work

Work absenteeism statistics in Slovenia suggest that between 38,000 and 40,000 employees are off work every day. The figures show the country loses 10 million working days a year due to temporary absence from work for health reasons – such as illness and injury – or because family members need care.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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


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 März 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 pr

A worker sitting on the floor

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 Januar 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 Oktober 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 an

Upcoming publications results (3)

The overview report of the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 ( EWCS24) provides a comprehensive description of the workforce, and includes information on digital work practices, social relations at work and inclusive workplaces. It evaluates job quality across seven dimensions: earnings,

November 2025

Poor mental health, especially anxiety and depression, affects many people in the EU. Trends impacting mental health include the change from physical to digital work environments, climate change, inequality and people’s concerns about their economic situation. While poor mental health was already pr

July 2025

The first findings from the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 (EWCS24) provide information on changes over time in the seven domains of job quality and key indicators on the quality of working life and sustainable work. They also include information on algorithmic management, hybrid work,

May 2025
Data results (28)

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