The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has made it clear: companies must guarantee and take care of the psychological well-being of their employees. Otherwise, penalties will be applied.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Recognizing and addressing employee psychological distress should be the goal of any company. The psychosocial risks that arise from a worker suffering from the stress, anxiety or depression associated with bullying have a high cost, both humanly and economically.
It is no coincidence that these dynamics generate unhappiness, sick leave, greater risk of accidents, low productivity and much more. Yet, it seems that even today the psychological side of work is considered second-rate.
The production, the achievement of the objectives, the technological resources rather than the human needs are more important. This leads us to think that, at times, it is not possible to reconcile private life with professional life.
Fortunately, this perspective is changing. Today, labor inspectors assess psychological factors understanding that "psychosocial risks" are also "occupational risks".
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has determined that from now on companies will have to deal with this aspect. Otherwise, penalties will be applied.
This is certainly a revolutionary change that is taking the form of a great step forward for our society.
Recognizing the psychological distress of employees: a secondary objective
Many welcomed the decision of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work with skepticism.
The fact that the human resources department is now forced to deal with, prevent and recognize problems such as stress or anxiety in employees is for some an impossible feat or a utopia.
Until now, we have always thought of the risk of being sick at work as a risk of physical damage, caused for example by proximity to electrical cables, machinery, fires and explosions, pollution, falls, extreme temperatures, etc.
However, we have forgotten (or knowingly ignored) that the regulations governing occupational risks also include the psychological sphere. Because it is not enough to ensure that a department has a certain number of fire extinguishers with their updated revisions.
The work environment also affects the employee's mental health.
Psychosocial factors have long been stigmatized
Identifying the psychological malaise of employees passes through the analysis of the company's psychosocial factors. That is, it is necessary to face all those conditions present in a person's work that can affect his mental well-being. Therefore, the areas to consider are the following:
- Stress.
- Mental load and fatigue.
- Job dissatisfaction due to hours, organization, salary, etc.
- Demotivation associated with one's own dissatisfaction.
- Contradictory requests and lack of clarity in the responsibilities and duties of the position.
- Bad organization, which generates insecurity in the worker.
- Interpersonal problems (bullying, quarrels, discrimination, conflicts, etc).
The European Agency for the Safety and Health of Workers reports something interesting: more than half of Europeans consider stress the main problem in any work environment.
This results in long-term physical and mental illnesses; however, this subject continues to be taboo in many companies.
According to a study conducted at the University of Albany by Dr. Michael T. Ford, faced with these situations, many workers feel a certain sense of injustice and neglect.
Like many other problems related to mental illness, stress and anxiety are not taken into consideration. They are stigmatized and companies don't see them as a problem. If an employee suffers from psychological discomfort, the problem lies with him, it is never a "cause and effect" of the company itself.
It is not enough to recognize the psychological malaise of employees, we must act
The European initiative to force companies to recognize employees' psychological distress is good news. However, action must be taken to really change things. There is no need for testing workers to assess psychosocial aspects, if no changes subsequently occur.
That is, if you find that 70% of the workforce shows a high level of stress, it is useless to know: we must act. Because an environment with a high burden of psychological exhaustion results in poor performance. Accidents, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and mental problems can also increase.
Stress is the substratum of any psychosocial problem. It arises whenever the requests that are made of us are greater than our ability to satisfy them.
And this happens on a daily basis in many companies. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to adapt working conditions to the resources and conditions of employees.
How to prevent psychosocial problems?
Work stress is unfortunately still a taboo: it is thought that it is a problem of the person who suffers from it, who does not know how to adapt to the working conditions of the company.
However, it is essential to keep in mind that the attention towards work stress by the company is not only a moral obligation: it is a legal imperative that the employer must respect and which is governed by the Framework Directive 89/391 / EEC. .
Therefore, when it comes to preventing psychosocial problems, it is not enough just to acknowledge the psychological distress of employees. Mechanisms must be set in motion so that this limit is not reached.
So, while it is true that employers are obliged to ensure adequate conditions that protect mental health, there is also another factor to consider.
Workers must also learn the appropriate techniques and strategies to protect their psychological well-being at work. It is also crucial to face challenges in a flexible way, to have good emotional intelligence and ability to manage daily stress. We are facing a challenge for which we are all responsible.
