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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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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

O inquérito A vida, o trabalho e a COVID-19, lançado pela primeira vez pela Eurofound em 2020, procura registar o impacto amplo da pandemia no trabalho e nas vidas dos cidadãos da UE. A quinta ronda do inquérito da Eurofound, que foi implementada na primavera de 2022, traz também à luz uma realidade

07 December 2022

A quinta ronda do inquérito on line da Fundação Europeia para a Melhoria das Condições de Vida e de Trabalho (Eurofound), que decorreu de 25 de março a 2 de maio de 2022, evidencia a situação social e económica das pessoas em toda a Europa dois anos depois de a COVID-19 ter sido detetada pela

07 July 2022

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 i

21 March 2022

Na sequência de uma longa recuperação da crise económica (2007-2013), os jovens na UE revelaram-se mais vulneráveis aos efeitos das restrições impostas para abrandar a propagação da pandemia de COVID-19. A perda de emprego, a insegurança financeira e os problemas de saúde mental afetaram mais os

09 November 2021

A terceira ronda do inquérito online realizado pela Eurofound nos meses de fevereiro e março de 2021 chama a atenção para a situação social e económica das pessoas em toda a Europa, após quase um ano a viver com as restrições devidas à pandemia de COVID-19. O presente relatório analisa as principais

10 May 2021

Este relatório emblemático resume as principais conclusões da investigação da Eurofound sobre as condições de trabalho, realizada no período de programação 2017-2020. Faz um balanço dos progressos alcançados desde 2000 na melhoria das condições de trabalho e examina se todos os trabalhadores

26 February 2021

Online resources results (236)

What constitutes cyberbullying? How widespread is the issue of cyberbullying at work? Is there sufficient legislation and workplace rules to address it effectively? Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Senior Research Manager Sara Riso.

18 Dezembro 2024

Micromanagement in the digital age: A form of (cyber)bullying?

As remote work has become more common post-pandemic, both employers and employees are confronted with a variety of challenges as they adapt their way of working. While managers may attempt to establish a new communication mechanism to ensure that work gets done remotely, employees may face challenge

After #MeToo: Changes in sexual harassment policy at work

The #MeToo movement, which began in 2017 with allegations of sexual harassment and assault in the entertainment industry, has brought significant attention to sexual harassment, particularly as it affects working women. The #MeToo movement has sparked a broader discussion about the prevalence of

Living, working and COVID-19: Impact on gender equality 11 March 2021, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) virtual meeting Presentation by Maria Jepsen, Acting Executive Director, Eurofound

22 Março 2021

Sweden: Latest working life developments – Q2 2017

Continued conflict at the Port of Gothenburg and an increase in sick leave due to mental ill-health in the workplace are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Sweden in the second quarter of 2017.

Belgium: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

The definition of hazardous jobs, measures to promote youth employment, a series of collective redundancies and proposals to alter wage formation are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Belgium in the third quarter of

Sweden: Work-related diseases more often caused by social factors

Work-related diseases due to organisational and social factors are increasing in Sweden, according to the Swedish Environment Authority. Since 2011, diseases due to these factors have increased by 77%. This, plus a recent spike in sick leave, has sparked a debate on how best to combat ill-health in

Germany: Latest findings from DGB Good Work Index

The German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) introduced the DGB Good Work Index in 2007 as a measurement tool, based on data from an annual survey, for monitoring quality of work. This article describes the background to the DGB Good Work Index, the most recent findings and the debate around the

Czech Republic: Transformations in the quality of working life

Findings from a recent survey aim to capture national developments in the Czech Republic in the quality of working life. Results from the survey on the nature of work, job security, workers’ experiences of stress and its intensity, and the evaluation of different aspects of work are highlighted in


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 Março 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

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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 Janeiro 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 Outubro 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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