Rapid globalization and technological progress have transformed the world of work. Many workers are exposed to ‘new’ risks emerging from changing patterns of work and work organization, for example conditions arising from precarious employment and increased pressures to meet the demands of modern working life. Workforce age profiles are also changing, as is the gender balance in many workplaces. The effects of such changes on occupational safety and health (OSH) have been significant. Taken together with other factors, such changes have led to increased work-related stress and other forms of mental ill-health, trends that can be all the more acute during a global economic crisis.

Studies in Europe and other developed countries suggest that stress is a factor in between 50% and 60% of all lost working days. Stress was reported as the second most frequently recorded cause of work-related health disorders, affecting 22% of workers in the EU in 2005. The latest EU study from 2009 confirms that although there was a decrease in the average level of work-related stress in fifteen EU members in more recent years, the average stress level in twelve of them increased.

Restructuring of enterprises, downsizing, subcontracting and out-sourcing, inevitably have an impact on working conditions, making it harder to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Increased flexibility and precariousness of work, work intensification, as well as working relations involving bullying and mobbing are some of the factors behind a rise in work-related stress disorders. In the longer term, work-related stress can also contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and other forms of ill health, such as hypertension, peptic ulcers and cardiovascular diseases. Work-related stress can further contribute to an inability to cope with work. Personal lifestyle factors can also have an impact on work performance and working relations. Stress can both influence and be indirectly intensified by problems outside the workplace, such as violence, the abuse of drugs, tobacco and alcohol, and strained family and personal relationships. Stress can be a major contributing factor to depression and even suicide. All this represents a potentially huge cost in terms of human distress and economic burden for the individual and society.

In recent years, there has been growing attention to the impact of psychosocial factors in the workplace both in developed and developing countries. Work-related stress, burnout, mobbing and other forms of violence have increased in the past 10 years. These have now been generally acknowledged as global issues, affecting all countries, all professions and all workers. It is also accepted that such factors can have a significant impact on workers' health, absenteeism and performance. In this context, emerging risk of a psycho-social nature require an approach which breaks away from traditional efforts. Specific preventive measures aimed at reducing the potential consequences of work-related stress should be in place. Comprehensive OSH management systems should be able to ensure that workplace psychosocial risks are properly assessed and managed, as other OSH risks are.

Body of abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight ILO’s contribution in the design of workplace policies and preventive programmes dealing with psychosocial risk and their impact on workers’ health. ILO action in this field takes into account global knowledge gained through research and good practice and is developed to support ILO constituents and other social partners in protecting workers' health and promoting their well-being.

Research studies and other workplace interventions are being undertaken not only in developed countries but in many developing countries as well; among others researchers and practitioners in Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Uganda and Uruguay are engaged in finding innovative ways to deal with the prevention of work-related stress and assessing the impact of psychosocial risks. Some trade unions have also raised concern about the impact of work-related stress and have developed their own risk assessment methods. There are many good examples of companies recognizing stress as a workplace issue and providing assistance to individuals to identify and treat the root problem. Stress management measures at the workplace have mainly included individual counselling, induction and mentoring of new staff, on-going support by co-workers and trade unions during unemployment and addressing major life events by building links with local NGO’s.

Further assessment of national conditions and practices is essential to have a clearer picture and deeper understanding of this problem and to globally improve preventive practices. For this reason, the ILO will launch regional studies on psychosocial risks, work-related stress and their impact in developing countries in 2012.

There is a growing trend to integrate general health promotion into workplace OSH programmes to complement programmes for the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. These health promotion programmes are often designed to encourage and help build healthy behaviour, especially in relation to alcohol and drug abuse, tobacco, stress and mental health, nutrition, physical exercise, etc. Assisting workers in managing their chronic conditions and becoming proactive in their health care has become an accepted strategy for worksite health programmes in many developed countries. Many successful workplace health promotion activities are also found to have positive impacts on productivity. These programmes will continue to develop and expand as the workforce ages.

If integrated into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) policies, the potential of workplace health promotion to improve working life is increased, as it complements occupational health measures. It benefits both workers and employers by improving the long-term well-being of workers and their families, increasing productivity and performance, and reducing pressure on health, welfare and social security systems. Integrating health promotion measures into OSH management systems enhances occupational health practice and contributes in building a global preventive culture.

The SOLVE approach

The ILO designed SOLVE with the aim of integrating workplace health promotion into OSH policies. SOLVE focuses on the promotion of health and well-being at work through policy design and action addressing the following areas and their interactions:

• Psychosocial health: stress; psychological and physical violence; economic stressors.
• Potential addictions: tobacco consumption; alcohol and drug consumption.
• Lifestyle habits: nutrition; exercise or physical activity; healthy sleep; HIV and AIDS.

SOLVE introduces an innovative approach whereby workers’ health, safety and well-being become an integral part of the organization’s development and economic sustainability by contributing to productivity and competitiveness. SOLVE takes into account the most recent trends concerning emerging psychosocial risks and integrates workers' health promotion and well-being as essential elements of workplace OSH policies and practices.

This training programme is meant for HR managers, trade unions, employers’ associations, OSH professionals and practitioners as well as national institutions responsible for the health and well-being of workers. Updated in 2011, it builds up on the experience achieved through the implementation of SOLVE in workplace interventions since 2002 and incorporates the impact of psychosocial risks in the context of the global economic crisis and recession.

The SOLVE training programme is designed with a participatory approach and a training of trainers’ model. It is conceived to support the workplace design on joint labour-management preventive programmes to reduce or eliminate the emerging risks associated with these problems in the workplace. The ILO's comparative advantage lies in its experience using the social dialogue approach, which has resulted in the implementation of successful workplace and community initiatives which address these problems with the involvement of employers, workers, OSH practitioners, governments, policy makers, public services and NGOs.

To achieve its objectives SOLVE is:

People-centred: Workers are increasingly recognized as the crucial asset for the success of any business. Their well-being is essential to the development of the “new” flexible, quality-oriented, knowledge-based, healthy and competitive enterprise.

Preventive: Prevention is a much more cost-effective and successful way to take action than waiting until a significant problem has developed. A healthy work organization and working environment are preconditions to the success of a productive enterprise.

Gender-sensitive: Consideration is paid to how psychosocial risks affect both men and women in its training and promotional activities SOLVE strives for gender balance.

Results-oriented: Success can only be measured by the results in the workplace. Taking action to promote changes in the workplace should be the natural follow-up to SOLVE.

Adaptable: A single approach to any problem does not work in all environments and cultures. Several approaches and options are presented and discussed, so that users can develop programmes and actions that meet their unique needs and circumstances.

Self-sustainable: The training programme aims for sustainable action that can be continued easily and cost-effectively in an enterprise. The preventive programmes and means of action developed to meet the needs of the employers and workers should show positive results, be capable of being modified in order to meet changing circumstances, and be cost-effective. 

Conclusions

An important consideration for the design and implementation of this training programme was its impact at the enterprise and institutional levels. For the enterprises, the implementation of measures addressing these topics will result in benefits such as improved productivity, fewer turnovers, less absenteeism and reduced costs. For the worker, a healthier working environment and attaining the means to address psycho-social risks when they arise in the workplace...