The legislative backgrounds of workplace health promotion in three European countries: a comparative analysis (original) (raw)
Related papers
2006
Measures that help people extend their working years and maintain their work ability have risen to the fore in the social welfare and health policies of many European countries. Improving the quality of work life, prolonging work careers, and promoting health at work are all preconditions for achieving a sustainable, stable and productive society, thus furthering the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy. Prolonging careers and health promotion at workplaces were among the themes discussed at the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Employment, Social Policy and Health during Finland’s EU Presidency in July 2006. The meeting also discussed more generally how to meet the challenges posed by globalisation and ageing, and what measures Member States and the EU should take to develop work life. To provide background material for the ministerial meeting, the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health launched a joint project in 2005, “Health in ...
BMC Public Health, 2015
Background: Although the popularity of workplace health promotion (WHP) has considerably increased over the years, there are still concerns about the way this concept is being implemented by the companies. There is, however, a seeming lack of empirical knowledge about variations in WHP practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of different patterns (and related quality levels) of WHP activity and the effect of organisational predictors on the chances of these WHP activity levels being implemented. Methods: Data from an establishment survey (N = 6,500) were used to calculate the prevalences of four configurations of WHP among German companies. Furthermore, multinominal logistic regressions were performed to determine odds ratios for these WHP activity levels according to several organisational characteristics. Results: 9% of companies exhibited the most comprehensive type of WHP including analysis, individual-directed prevention measures and participatory groups concerned with working conditions improvement (level A), 18% featured a combination of analysis and individual-directed prevention (level B), 29% had reported measures from only one of these categories (level C), and 44% showed no WHP activity at all (level D). In the multivariate analysis company size turned out to be the strongest predictor of WHP at all levels. WHP was also predicted by a good economic situation of the company, the availability of safety specialist assistance, the availability of specialist assistance in occupational health and the presence of an employee representative body. These effects usually became stronger when moving up in the hierarchy of WHP levels. For the two sector-level variables (private vs. public, production vs. services) no statistically significant associations with WHP were found. Conclusions: WHP still shows great potential for improvement both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Especially required are additional efforts in developing and implementing WHP practice models and dissemination strategies which are tailored to the particular conditions and needs of small companies. However, findings suggest that the chances for achieving progress in WHP also depend on developments in adjacent policy areas such as labour relations or occupational safety and health.
Is workplace health promotion research in the Nordic countries really on the right track?
Scandinavian journal of public health, 2014
The aims of this scoping review of research on workplace health promotion interventions in the Nordic countries were to investigate: how the studies defined health; whether the studies intended to change the workplace itself (the settings approach); and whether the research focus regarding their definitions of health and use of settings approaches has changed in the past five-year period versus previous times. Using scientific literature databases, we searched for intervention studies labelled as "health promotion" in an occupational setting in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) published from 1986 to 2014. We identified 63 publications and qualitatively analysed their content regarding health outcomes and their use of settings approaches. The reviewed studies focused primarily on preventing disease rather than promoting positive measures of health. In addition, most studies did not try to change the workplace but rather used the workplace ...
Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2018, 2018
European Union legislative action in the field of workers’ health and safety has been put on the back burner since the beginning of the 21st century. The main reason for this is not specific to occupational health but reflects the general weakening of social policies in the EU, a trend which became clearly noticeable when the focus of the Lisbon Strategy was adjusted in 2004-2005. It is also linked to the gradual implementation of the ‘Better Regulation’ agenda, under which legislative initiatives have been made dependent on their supposed economic impact. This weakening of Community occupational health policy can be traced by examining the various strategies established for 2002-2006, 2007-2012, and finally 2014-2020. In terms of occupational health legislation, there is a striking contrast between the large amount of legislation produced in the wake of the Single European Act (1986), and the far smaller number of texts produced as of 2002. The table annexed to this chapter gives an overview of the legislation adopted. This quantitative reduction, however, is only one aspect of the change. In terms of quality, the few directives worked on since 2002 have been the subject of tough negotiations, providing only a partial, and often insufficient, response to the needs they were supposed to meet. In May 2016, a glimmer of hope arose with the launch of the revision of the directive on carcinogens and mutagens at work. Will this change of direction lead to a revitalisation of Community policy, or will it remain a one-off? This chapter examines the development of European regulation in this area over the last twenty years. After considering the needs to which it is responding, and dwelling on the fact that Community legislation is a vital tool in this area if we are to see harmonised progress on living and working conditions in Europe (Section 1), we examine the impact of ‘Better Regulation’ (Section 2). The revision of the carcinogens and mutagens directive (Section 3) raises some particularly interesting questions. It seems to go against a general trend unfavourable to rules protecting workers’ lives and health. We shall attempt, therefore, to understand how, at a particular point in time, multiple complex factors have created an unexpected window of opportunity. Section 4 shows that the renewed activity in relation to cancer has not yet been able to revive Community policies on other priority occupational health issues. Major challenges remain: the still worrying level of musculoskeletal disorders and the strong emergence of psychosocial risks require an approach to occupational health going beyond material risks. These reflect aspects of work organisation needing to be regulated with a view to counteracting the power of employers. We conclude on the need to consider health and safety issues as part of a broader approach linking societal issues to workplace democracy. In our view, a purely technical approach to occupational health rules is bound to be inefficient and basically legitimises the double standards under which the health of people at work is far less well protected than their health in other contexts (regulations on the marketing of foodstuffs, medicines, cosmetics, rules on transport safety, air and water quality etc.).
The Europeanisation of occupational health services: A study of the impact of EU policies
2008
This study concerns Framework Directive 89/391/EEC on health and safety at work, which encouraged improvements in occupational health services (OHS) for workers in EU member states. Framework Directive 89/391/EEC originally aimed at bringing the same level of occupational health and safety to employees in both the public and private sectors in EU member states. However, the implementation of the framework directive and OHS varies widely among EU member states. Occupational health services have generally been considered an important work-related welfare benefit in EU member states. The purpose of this study was to analyse OHS within the EU context and then analyse the impact of EU policies on OHS implementation as part of the welfare state benefit. The focus is on social, health, and industrial policies within welfare state regimes as well as EU policy-making processes affecting these policies in EU member states. The research tasks were divided into four groups related to the policy, functions, targets, and actors of OHS. The questions related to policy tried to discover the role of OHS in other policies, such as health, social, and labour market policies within the EU. The questions about functions sought to describe the changes, as well as the path dependence, of OHS in EU member states after the framework directive. The questions about targets were based on the general aims of WHO and the ILO in relation to equity, solidarity, universality, and access to OHS. The questions on actors were designed to understand the variety of stakeholders interested in OHS. The actors were supranational (EU, ILO, and WHO), national (ministries, institutes, and professional organisations), and social partners (trade unions and employers' organisations). ABSTRACT states. Further results and effects of OHS processes on occupational health need to be analysed more carefully. The adoption of a variety of research strategies and a multidisciplinary approach to understand the influence of different policies on OHS in the EU and its member states would highlight the options and opportunities to improve workers' occupational health.
European Journal of Political Research, 1986
Abstract. The article adds to the attempts to describe and explain legislation as an extended process. The case of Finnish labour protection policy is used as an illustration. It is argued that the labour protection policy is pursued in accordance with an established labour protection paradigm, which consists of the way of cognitively structuring the safety and health problem, of the accepted methods to deal with the problem and of the values underlying the policy. It is argued that the Finnish labour protection paradigm does not correspond with the real function of labour protection. Generally, the paper suggests that the paradigm-nature of public policies implies an inherent conservatism, allowing only partial adaption to social and political change.
Improved occupational safety and health (OSH) is a major challenge for the trade union movement. When surveyed about what they expect from their unions, most workers list occupational health as a top priority. Action in this regard is complex, however. First, there is the essential day-to-day work undertaken by the unions in the workplace. This is reinforced by networking the experiences of particular sectors with regard to specific or regional issues. There are numerous links between occupational health issues and other union objectives (democracy in the workplace, gender equality, environmental protection, etc.). In addition, the need to act across borders is increasing in line with international trade, globalisation and EU enlargement. All these developments demonstrate the importance of cross-border trade union cooperation and the production of joint strategies. This guide is aimed primarily at worker representatives responsible for health and safety at work and union officials involved in this area. It will also be useful to anyone with an interest in EU policy developments or involved in preventing occupational risks. It gives an overview of the background to, principle actors in, and essential tools of, EU occupational health and safety policy with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of this policy and of facilitating effective intervention at European level. The information is up-to-date as of the end of March 2015. Our Institute’s information tools, such as HesaMag magazine, the Hesamail e-newsletter and our website, will provide regular updates of any changes.