How an employee feels in the workplace not only affects their performance, but also their health. lf working conditions, such as psychological pressure and interactions with others, are not good, work stress can arise. This is also known as psychosocial workload (PSW).
Factors causing PSW
Factors that can cause PSW and possibly also work stress include:
PSW can lead to health problems and absenteeism and ultimately to long-term sick leave and possibly even incapacity for work. Employees who experience PSW become demotivated. lf they take sick leave, the step back to work is even more difficult. This is a very unpleasant situation for the employee. And it costs you, the employer, a lot of money.
What can you do against psychosocial workload (PSW)?
As an employer, you must establish a policy to combat PSW. This is required under the Working Conditions Act. lf you fail to do so, the Netherlands Labour Authority may take measures. Ultimately, you could even face heavy fines.
You develop policies against PSW on the basis of the Risk lnventory & Evaluation, in which you describe the situations in which your employees may experience PSW. You then identify the causes and take appropriate measures based on an action plan, evaluating whether these have the desired effect.
Examples of measures against PSW:
- appointing a confidential advisor
- informing your employees about PSW
- conducting in-depth studies into work pressure
- drawing up a code of conduct and a complaints procedure
- preventing work pressure from becoming too high
Question and answer regarding confidential advisor
Employees may be confronted with undesirable behaviour at work, such as bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination and aggression. lt is important that employees can turn to a confidential advisor within the company with their problems. A confidential advisor is independent and knowledgeable.
According to the Working Conditions Act, companies are obliged to protect their employees against psychosocial workload. To this end, they must draw up a policy and actually implement it. Appointing a confidential advisor can be an important part of this policy.
The confidential advisor has a duty of confidentiality and is therefore not allowed to pass on any information - for example to the employer - about the content of conversations or correspondence.
A confidential advisor:
- Provides initial support to employees who have been harassed and who need help and advice.
- Assesses whether an informal solution is possible.
- lnforms the victim about other options, such as complaints procedures.
- Provides guidance if the employee wishes to raise the matter with a complaints committee or manager.
- Refers to other support agencies, such as a mediator.
- Provides information about how to deal with undesirable behaviour.
- Advises and supports managers and management in preventing undesirable behaviour.
- Records cases of undesirable behaviour.
More information
Read more about career as a werk-stress-free journey.
Self-inspection: work pressure and undesirable behaviour
Are you doing enough to combat work stress and psychosocial workload? Use the Work pressure and undesirable behaviour self-inspection tool. Go to self-inspection: work pressure and undesirable behaviour (Dutch).