The Seminar „Psychosocial Risk Management in the Work Environment” took place from 6 to 9 February 2020 in Lublin / Poland. The seminar was organized by Europejski Dom Spotkań - Fundacja Nowy Staw with the support of EZA and of the European Union. Participants focussed on the specific field of the work area such as psychosocial risk and dangers connected with working under the stress that can occur at work. Participants were representatives of workers’ organisations from Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Portugal, Albania and Spain.
The main goal of organising the seminar was giving the opportunity to common discussion about psychosocial risk management in work environments in different European countries. It was also the opportunity to awareness-rising about risk factors among participants and joint exploration of the methods of prevention and reaction in the face of these threats.
This topic is very important nowadays when so many employees suffer from psychological illnesses (like depression) and also psychosomatic disorders which many times are not diagnosed at all or diagnosed wrongly by doctors who don’t see the connection between psychological and physiological sphere. Psychological and psychosomatic problem cause numerous absences from work which influences on the companies and then on the economy. Many of good employees, well prepared to their job, after some time of bad psychosocial risk management in their work place suffer from burnout which is many times consequence of the chronic stress.
After this seminar and also after the feedback of participants we see how important and still requiring an attention is this area of work safety.
During the seminar we use following methods of work:
- Introductory Lecture
- Discussion panels followed by “Power Point” presentations and interaction of speakers with the audience
- Study visit in “Misericordia” – Charitable Association for the Assistance of the Sick
- Workshops
During the seminar wediscussed widely the psychosocial risk factors in companies – division, character and the consequences for the employee. We focused on ideas how to copy with psychosocial risk factors in the work environment. We analysed national legal acts in chosen European countries relating to the management of psychosocial safety and health at work.
Big attention was paid to the role of employer and representatives of trade unions in ensuring good psychosocial conditions of work. There was a lot of talk about tasks and responsibilities facing a modern employer in the context of psychosocial risk management. We discussed problem of awareness of this kind of risk among employer and employee and also the attitude of employers towards it and methods of prevention in different European countries.
During one of the panel we focused on promotion of the safe workplace in the context of psychosocial risk management sharing good international practices.
The Introductory lecture „Psychosocial safety at work” which was very interactive with the audience and also workshops “Professional burnout prevention - balance between family and professional life, ways of time management” gave the opportunity for participants to get to know mechanisms of burnout and methods of its prevention. It was also an opportunity to self reflection on their own attitude to work and personal analysis of their working environment if it comes to psychosocial management.
MAIN CONLUCIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Necessity of increase employers' awareness about psychosocial risks and ensuring training courses on this subject for them;
- Developing and providing employers with tools to identify psychosocial risks in the workplace and also methods of copying with them;
- Recommendation of the increases employment of psychologists in companies who can help in the recognition of psychosocial threats, prevention of them and solving problems which occurs in professional relations;
- Raising the awareness of the important role of the psychologist in the company and benefits of his/her employment for the employer, employees and company
- Better promotion of the psychological health accompanied by social campaigns; idea of
Involving employers and entrepreneurs to promote safe workplaces and strengthening cooperation of entrepreneurs with scientific institutions and labor market institutions in the field of providing and promoting a safe work place
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive prevention program in the workplace, assuming co-responsibility of the employer and the employee in terms of working conditions
- Drafting of good practices and sharing them among employers
- Improvement of the legislation in the frame of prevention and coping with cases of mobbing, cases of sexual harassment and hidden aggression in work place
- Strengthening the role of trade unions it comes to the dialogue between employee and employees, negotiations between them, calling for employee training in the field of psychosocial risks and also develop its own campaign to prevent psychosocial problems