Lesson 1 What are those?

The employer has a legal responsibility to promote mental well-being:

  • Managing stress is not just a moral obligation and a good investment for employers, it is a legal imperative set out in Framework Directive 89/391/EEC, supported by the social partners’ framework agreements on work-related stress and harassment and violence at work.
  • Furthermore, the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being recognises the changing demands and increasing pressures in the workplace and encourages employers to implement additional, voluntary measures to promote mental well-being.

Psychosocial risks – where do they come from?

  • poor work design
  • organisation and management
  • poor social context of work

They may result in negative psychological, physical and social outcomes such as work-related stress, burnout or depression.