Peer review on legislative and enforcement approaches to address psychosocial risks at work in the Member States : 26-27 June 2024, Brussels, Belgium : summary report

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 84 million people in the EU were affected by mental health problems, a number that has increased since the pandemic. An Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Pulse survey (2022) revealed high levels of work-related stress, with many workers reporting stress, depression, or anxiety caused or made worse by work. These issues are associated with severe time pressure, work overload, and experiences of harassment, bullying, or violence at work. Workers whose employers took steps to address work-related stress generally experience lower rates of psychosocial issues. In response to these challenges and to further promote and implement the existing legal framework, including the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC safety and health of workers at work, the European Commission has undertaken several key initiatives. More recently, on 7 June 2023, the European Commission adopted a Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health. The Communication included, as one of the flagships, a Peer Review on legislative and enforcement approaches for addressing psychosocial risks at work in Member States of the EU. In this context, the Peer Review allowed to share experiences and information on the different legislative and enforcement approaches implemented by Member States to prevent and protect workers from psychosocial risks at work.