Psychosocial Risks prevention was identified as a key priority and the recognition of the significant changes in the work context contributed for emphasizing Emergent Psychosocial Risks - EPR (e.g., precarious contracts, ageing workforce, and family-work conflict) (EU-OSHA, 2007). The contextual factors and risk management practices critical for prevention have been evidenced in research and support the European policy and national strategies and obligations. However, ESENER survey reveal that these policies did not yet consolidate into generalized good practices (EU-OSHA, 2010, 2012).

It is also acknowledged that social dialogue is a key factor for improving quality in work (EC, 2003), implementing participative solutions and empowering the stakeholders increase the success of the preventive actions. The accomplishment and positive outcomes of this involvement require that the stakeholders have opportunity to participate and that their perspectives are taking into account.

The current societal and economic crises amplified the threats related to psychosocial risks. In this context SMEs are more vulnerable and also facing bigger challenges for initiating, maintaining and improve prevention initiatives.

The present action intends to contribute for an efficient promotion of knowledge dissemination and offer an informative toolkit for preventive actions towards EPR that SMEs are facing, cross industry and cross sector.  This will be achieved using social dialogue with different formal stakeholders.  Action specific objectives are:  Map the SMEs knowledge about EPR; Identify best practices and main obstacles perceived by SMEs Stakeholders; organize a workshop with stakeholders to disseminate and debate knowledge, action plans and a tool kit; develop a tool kit that can be easily used by SMEs.

The action targets SMEs in four European countries that are facing severe societal challenges due to the economic crisis (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain).

European Union is committed to contribute for work quality and citizens’ longer and healthier lives.

mproving work quality implies investing in health and safety at work. Improvement of Health and Safety at work is considered strategic and several recommendations and policies were established (e.g. EC, 2003, 2008).

During the last decades complex changes occurred, and continue to happen, in the work context giving rise to an increase impact of specific risks as the psychosocial risks (e.g., EU-OSHA, 2002, 2007; Eurofound, 2007). Emergent Psychosocial Risks are now recognized as a critical issue and a priority for Health and Safety initiatives in the European Union. In this proposal we assume the emerging psychosocial risks defined by EU-OSHA (2007) that cover: (1) new forms of employment contracts and job insecurity; (2) the ageing workforce; (3) work intensification; (4) high emotional demands at work and (5) poor work-life balance.  Considering the critical societal and economic development related to the crisis observed in Europe in the last 5 years, it is now urgent the need for increasing contributes for the prevention of these risks. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face even more difficulties than larger enterprises, and should therefore, be considered for priority actions.

European Union also stresses that appropriate access to information, training and skill development and workers participation in Health and Safety issues are important ingredients for responding to the current challenges that our society faces (EC, 2003).

Within this framework, in the present action, we consider that key stakeholders involvement is critical for understanding the current situation of SMEs and for suggesting preventive actions targeting Psychosocial Emergent Risks. Workers representatives and committees, Health and Safety Personnel, Unions, Management or other organizational leaders are here considered Stakeholders.  It is also assumed that the action outcomes should be available to any worker and the worker participation principle will be part of all the final outcomes of this action.

The present action intends to contribute for an efficient promotion of knowledge dissemination and to support the development of preventive actions that can contribute for minimizing the possible negative impacts of Psychosocial Emergent Risks that SMEs are facing, cross industry and cross sector.  This will be achieved using social dialogue with different formal stakeholders and will contribute to “promote knowledge on effective industrial relation practices”.

Overall, it is intended to develop initiatives that contribute for improving prevention of these emergent psychosocial risks through social dialogue. These will allow to accomplish the present call aims to promote initiatives related to the adaptation of social dialogue to changes in employment and work and related challenges, such as, quality of work, health and safety at work, reconciliation of work and family life, , healthier and longer working lives and decent work.

Namely, our specific objectives are:

Objective 1 – Summarize the existent scientific knowledge, country specific and European policies about psychosocial emergent risks prevention and Mapping SMEs knowledge about these risks.

Objective 2 - Characterize main best practices in Emergent Psychosocial Risks Management and identify the difficulties/obstacles to implement good preventive practices considering the SMEs perspective.

Objective 3- Organize a workshop with stakeholders to disseminate knowledge, discuss it and define an action plan for helping SMEs in the prevention of psychosocial emergent risks and its implementation. This workshop will contribute for identifying best communication and information practices for supporting SMEs.

Objective 4- Present an informative toolkit with practices that can be implemented by SMEs for helping them to prevent the emergent psychosocial risks during and after the economic.

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With the objective to increase the research activity directed towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the possibility of associating scientific projects with the Sustainable Development Goals is now available in Ciência-IUL. These are the Sustainable Development Goals identified for this project. For more detailed information on the Sustainable Development Goals, click here.