ILO and WHO Guidance on mental health at work presented during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
During the high-level event "Precariousness at work and mental health", the ILO's occupational safety and health department presented these Guidelines applicable at both policy and workplace level to prevent and address mental health at work.
29 September 2023
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MADRID - (ILO News) On 26-27 September, the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy organized a high-level meeting on "Precariousness at work and mental health" in Toledo, Spain, to promote the debate on mental health at work during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
The event was chaired by the acting Spanish Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez Rey, and was attended by his counterparts from different EU countries, Spanish and European social partners, European Commission officials and various international experts in occupational safety and health, including from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to address psychosocial risks in the workplace, and in particular the risks associated with mental health, from different perspectives.
He also recalled that work environments with decent work deficits create psychosocial risk factors, but that risk factors also exist in decent jobs, and special attention must be paid to transformations in the world of work that may create new risks or exacerbate existing ones.
The Guidelines presented focus on three types of action: preventive action aimed at reviewing policies for managing occupational risks including psychosocial risks; protection and promotion aimed at equipping workers with standards to identify where risks exist and take action accordingly; and finally, supportive action, which seeks the return to work and reintegration of people with mental health problems including measures to address discrimination. Participation, leadership, funding, rights, or integration are some of the key factors in creating an enabling environment for addressing mental health at work.
The event was also attended by the Director of the ILO Office for Spain, Félix Peinado, and the Technical Adviser, Sara López.
The experts participating in the conference also highlighted how, in the face of transitions in the world of work, in particular digitalisation, which generates multiple problems such as techno-stress, anxiety, etc., and due, among other causes, to the lack of a recognised right to disconnection, a comprehensive approach must be adopted. Such an approach should include, inter alia, preventive measures on violence and harassment in line with ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.
On the other hand, the importance of acting urgently on mental health and work, at all levels and through various international organisations, including the WHO and the ILO, to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 3 and 5 was noted.
To conclude the debate, there were various proposals for the development of different regulations related to psychosocial risks and mental health, as well as the need to address the issue of mental health at work through increased investment and, in any case, with the crucial participation of the social partners.
The event was chaired by the acting Spanish Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez Rey, and was attended by his counterparts from different EU countries, Spanish and European social partners, European Commission officials and various international experts in occupational safety and health, including from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to address psychosocial risks in the workplace, and in particular the risks associated with mental health, from different perspectives.
Mental health at work
On the occasion of the event, ILO occupational safety and health specialist Ana Catalina Ramirez presented the ILO/WHO Guidance Guidelines on Mental Health at Work. During her presentation, she stressed that while work can worsen mental health, a safe and healthy working environment can also contribute to mental health. "Mental health is often misunderstood, under-resourced and under-prioritised compared to physical health", she said.He also recalled that work environments with decent work deficits create psychosocial risk factors, but that risk factors also exist in decent jobs, and special attention must be paid to transformations in the world of work that may create new risks or exacerbate existing ones.
The Guidelines presented focus on three types of action: preventive action aimed at reviewing policies for managing occupational risks including psychosocial risks; protection and promotion aimed at equipping workers with standards to identify where risks exist and take action accordingly; and finally, supportive action, which seeks the return to work and reintegration of people with mental health problems including measures to address discrimination. Participation, leadership, funding, rights, or integration are some of the key factors in creating an enabling environment for addressing mental health at work.
The event was also attended by the Director of the ILO Office for Spain, Félix Peinado, and the Technical Adviser, Sara López.
Precariousness at work
The rest of the debate focused on highlighting the link between mental health and job insecurity and that addressing the debate on mental health in connection with work is a new milestone in the construction of a more social Europe.The experts participating in the conference also highlighted how, in the face of transitions in the world of work, in particular digitalisation, which generates multiple problems such as techno-stress, anxiety, etc., and due, among other causes, to the lack of a recognised right to disconnection, a comprehensive approach must be adopted. Such an approach should include, inter alia, preventive measures on violence and harassment in line with ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.
On the other hand, the importance of acting urgently on mental health and work, at all levels and through various international organisations, including the WHO and the ILO, to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 3 and 5 was noted.
To conclude the debate, there were various proposals for the development of different regulations related to psychosocial risks and mental health, as well as the need to address the issue of mental health at work through increased investment and, in any case, with the crucial participation of the social partners.