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Joint Response to the new Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027

On 28 June 2021, the European Commission published its new Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021 – 2027 with the overarching aims to anticipate and manage change, prevent work-related accidents and illnesses, and increase preparedness against future crises.

Although concrete details on the proposed actions are yet to be seen and the Strategy mainly proposed non-binding initiatives, the European Alliance for Mental Health – Employment & Work (EU MH Alliance) welcomes the Strategy as a first step and commitment from the European Commission to further improve occupation health and address new challenges concerning digitalisation and teleworking, mental health of workers, inequalities and discrimination, as well as better prepare the world of work for future crises. While it is encouraging to see important progress in bringing down occupational illnesses, accidents and injuries, new changing realities of work mean related psycho- social risk factors will more than ever need to be addressed in an adequate and timely manner.

Please find the full statement with recommendations here

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Joint response to the public consultation on EU Stratetic Framework on Health and Safety at Work

The members of the EU Mental Health Alliance for Work and Employment (EU MH Alliance) have issued a joint statement on the public consultation on EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work to stress the importance of psychosocial factors in occupational safety and health.

As the consultation primarily focuses on the evaluation and impact on the Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020, the EU MH Alliance would like to take the opportunity to highlight that such a Framework largely overlooked psychosocial factor.

In the past years, psychosocial risks and work-related stress have increasingly become a reality in many workplaces. The syndemic nature of COVID-19 additionally unveiled the importance of good mental health and wellbeing at work as fundamental to ensure quality of life for every worker and their family. Indeed, the mental health toll the health crisis evoked is exponential. Any recovery and resilience building plan, including in the economic sphere, must realise that good mental health and the prevention of work-related stress have a positive and preventative/buffering impact on the economic outcomes of individuals, companies,
communities and society as a whole.

Only if the European Commission firmly places psychosocial aspects of work at the heart of the new EU OSH Framework for the years to come, workers across Europe will benefit from real and tangible benefits.

Please find the full statement with recommendations here