Psychosocial burden

With psychosocial burdens it concerns situations at work in which colleagues, managers, clients and patients are the cause that your employees suffer from serious physical and psychological complaints. It concerns, among other things:

• aggression and violence;
• discrimination;
• bullying;
• sexual intimidation;
• too high or too low work pressure.

As employer you must prevent as much as possible that your employees experience psychosocial burdens. You must examine what causes these psychosocial burdens and what can be done against them. In the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E) you describe the risks for your employees. You include the measures to prevent or reduce psychosocial burdens in the Plan of Action of the RI&E. You can, for example:

• establish a protocol for inappropriate behaviour;
• appoint a confidential advisor:
• set up a complaints committee;
• call in a social worker.

In addition, you must inform your employees about the risks involved and the measures that you have taken.