Psychosocial risks (PSRs) have not yet been defined either legally or statistically in Luxembourg. They lie at the interface between the individual and their work situation hence the term "psychosocial risk".
The causes of PSRs can be grouped in to 4 large families of factors:
- The requirements of the work and its organisation: autonomy in one’s work, the level of requirement at work in terms of quality and deadlines, the vigilance and concentration required, contradictory demands;
- Management and work relationships: the nature and quality of relationships with colleagues and supervisors, recognition, rewards, organisational justice;
- Consideration of employees’ values and expectations: skills development, work-life balance, ethical conflicts;
- Changes to the work: the approach to changes of any kind, new technologies, job insecurity, restructuring etc.
Stress is only a manifestation of psychosocial risks. We distinguish between acute stress situations (when someone is dealing with a specific event) and chronic stress situations, when a situation is long-lasting, leading to detrimental effects on employees’ health and dysfunctions within the company.
According to the European Agency for health and safety at work, based in Bilbao, "a state of stress arises when there is an imbalance between a person's perception of the pressures placed on them by their environment, and their perception of their resources to cope with these. Although the process of evaluation of these pressures and resources is psychological, the effects of stress are not solely of that nature. They affect physical health, well-being and productivity equally".
Consequences of psychosocial risks in business
Impact on health
PSRs have detrimental effects on workers’ health. There are links between psychosocial risk factors and cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders or mental illness (depression, anxiety). PSRs are therefore proving to be a major concern in terms of public health.
Impact on business
PSRs equally have an impact on the business. There is an evident link between the occurrence of these risks and absenteeism, an increased turnover of staff, failure to meet schedules and quality requirements, problems with discipline, a reduction in productivity, accidents and incidents at work, a lack of quality (an increase in rejects and defects), deterioration of the social climate, harm to corporate image etc.