Employers in the European Union could have new obligations to protect their employees from stress, burnout, overwork, and other issues caused by the way work is organized.
The Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) of the European Parliament approved on Wednesday an initiative calling on the European Commission to prepare legislation dedicated to psychosocial risks in the workplace.
The document, drafted under the coordination of Belgian MEP Estelle Ceulemans, proposes establishing minimum standards across the EU to prevent and reduce issues that can affect the mental and physical health of employees.
The initiative received 41 votes in favor, 12 against, and four abstentions.
Employers should assess the pressure on employees
One of the significant changes would be the obligation for employers to periodically evaluate psychosocial risks within the company.
Considerations should include, among others, excessive workload, pace and intensity of activities, and stress-inducing factors. If issues are identified, the employer should establish concrete measures to reduce them.
Such assessments should also be conducted before significant changes in the company's organization, including restructuring or the introduction of new teleworking forms.
Special attention is given to technology. MEPs want risks to be analyzed even when automated decision-making systems or technologies that monitor employees are introduced.
Algorithm-based systems should not lead to overwork or excessive monitoring of employees, and human control over decisions must be maintained.
The document also supports employees' right to disconnect from work outside working hours.
Rules also for workplace harassment
The future legislation would require companies to have clear policies against violence, harassment, bullying, and discrimination that can affect the health or dignity of employees.
MEPs call for mechanisms to detect such issues early on, as well as rapid support for affected individuals.
A specific category is that of employees returning to work after an absence due to stress-related issues or other psychosocial risks.
For them, an individual return-to-work plan may be necessary. Depending on the situation, this could involve modifying the schedule, changing how activities are organized, or reducing and adapting tasks.
Over 840,000 deaths per year
The issue has grown beyond the discomfort felt in the workplace.
The International Labour Organization estimates that globally, over 840,000 people die each year due to conditions associated with psychosocial risks related to work, such as long hours, job insecurity, or harassment.
These deaths are mainly linked to cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, including suicide.
Rapporteur Estelle Ceulemans warns that stress, burnout, and harassment have become increasingly significant issues in the world of work, amidst heightened activity, digitalization, and changes in how companies are managed and organized.
It is not yet a law
For employees, changes do not happen immediately. The document approved in the European Parliament committee is a legislative initiative, where MEPs call on the European Commission to propose a law. Therefore, it is not an already adopted directive.
The next step is the European Parliament's plenary vote, scheduled for October.
If the Parliament supports the request, the European Commission will have to respond to the MEPs' demand and announce the measures it intends to take or explain the reasons for not presenting a legislative proposal.
G.P.