EU-OSHA launches campaign to help reduce workplace stress

Brussels – The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (also known as EU-OSHA) has kicked off a two-year campaign on preventing and managing work-related stress.

The Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress campaign aims to help raise awareness of work-related stress, provide tools and guidance to manage it, and highlight the business case and other positive effects of managing stress.

“Managing work-related stress is one of the cornerstones in ensuring the health, safety and well-being of European workers,” László Andor – the European Union commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion – said in a press release announcing the campaign.

Half of European workers believe work-related stress is common, and 41 percent believe stress is not handled well in their workplace, according to an EU-OSHA opinion poll.

Constantly working under pressure can lead to 5 times more incidents, EU-OSHA stated, and reduced performance caused by psychosocial problems can cost twice as much as workplace absences.