Text · Opinion parliamentary committee draft
On Psychosocial risks, stress and mental health at work
Document SANT-PA-787021 · 2026/2023(INL)
- Kind
- Opinion parliamentary committee draft SANT-PA-787021
- Date
- 14 April 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Public Health
- Rapporteur
- Irena Joveva
- Dossier
- 2026-2023
More facts (3)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- SECU, SANI
- Reference
- 2026/2023(INL)
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Back matter, 2
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Amendments 186 blocks
The Committee on Public Health presents the following to the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible:
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – having regard to the 2022 policy brief of the World Health Organization and of the International Labour Organization entitled ‘Mental health at work: policy brief’, |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| B. whereas exposure to psychosocial risk factors such as excessive workload, unreasonable work pace, workforce shortages, lack of autonomy, job insecurity, poor management practices, dysfunctional performance and merit-based evaluation systems significantly increase work-related psychosocial risks; | B. whereas exposure to psychosocial risk factors such as excessive workload, unreasonable work pace, workforce shortages including unsafe staffing levels, lack of autonomy, job insecurity, poor management practices, dysfunctional performance and merit-based evaluation systems significantly increase work-related psychosocial risks; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Ea. whereas treating work-related psychosocial risks instead of preventing them intensifies the burden on healthcare systems and public expenditure on health; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Fa. whereas one in three doctors and nurses report depression and one in ten experience passive suicidal thoughts1a; whereas one in three doctors and nurses have experienced bullying or violent threats at work, and one in ten have experienced physical violence and/or sexual harassment; whereas workers in the health and social care sector are exposed to a combination of psychosocial, physical, biological, chemical and musculoskeletal risks that may reinforce each other1b; whereas high emotional demands, staff shortages, long and irregular shifts, low autonomy, poor communication, moral distress, and violence or verbal abuse from patients, relatives, care recipients or service users create a particularly acute psychosocial risk profile in hospitals, long-term care, home care, emergency care and community services; | |
| 1a https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/e584e5dd-735f-4985-8879-67e310151fa9/content | |
| 1b https://healthy-workplaces.osha.europa.eu/sites/hwc/files/hwc/publication/Digital%20platform%20work%20health%20social%20care_en.pdf |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Fb. whereas prevention in the health and social care sector should include safe staffing, continuity of teams, adequate supervision, post-incident support, trauma-informed follow-up and measures to address the cumulative effect of repeated exposure to suffering, death, aggression and ethically challenging situations; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| La. whereas the ever greater use of digital tools for work purposes has resulted in an ‘ever-connected’, ‘always on’, or ‘constantly on-call’ culture, which can have detrimental effect on workers’ physical and mental health and well-being; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| M. whereas telework and flexible working arrangements, while providing autonomy and flexibility, have also been associated with increased work intensity, work–life interference, extended availability and the emergence of an “always-on” work culture, which can negatively affect mental health if not properly regulated; | M. whereas telework and flexible working arrangements, while providing autonomy and flexibility, have also been associated with increased work intensity, work–life interference, connection to work-related digital tools beyond working hours, extended availability and the emergence of an “always-on” work culture, which can negatively affect mental health if not properly regulated; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| N. whereas women, young and older workers, workers in precarious or non-standard forms of employment, managerial staff, migrant workers and ethnic minorities, workers living with a chronic condition, and workers subject to intense performance monitoring and merit-based reward systems are disproportionately exposed to work-related psychosocial risks; whereas this is not due to individual vulnerability but a result of structural inequalities, power imbalances and discriminatory practices in the organisation of work, including sexism, ageism, racism, ableism, class-based discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; whereas these intersecting forms of discrimination constitute psychosocial risk factors in themselves; | N. whereas women, young and older workers, workers in precarious or non-standard forms of employment, managerial staff, migrant workers and ethnic minorities, workers living with a chronic condition, persons with disabilities, and workers subject to intense performance monitoring and merit-based reward systems are disproportionately exposed to work-related psychosocial risks; whereas this is not due to individual vulnerability but a result of structural inequalities, power imbalances and discriminatory practices in the organisation of work, including sexism, ageism, racism, ableism, class-based discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; whereas these intersecting forms of discrimination constitute psychosocial risk factors in themselves; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Na. whereas young people are disproportionately affected by anxiety, mental distress and burnout in the workplace, not least due to their more intensive use of digital technologies and the often-precarious nature of early-career employment; whereas the expansion of teleworking may further limit opportunities to build meaningful social connections, access informal learning, and receive adequate supervision and mentoring, all of which are essential at the beginning of a professional career; whereas these factors may increase the risk of isolation and frustration, thereby exacerbating psychosocial risks among young workers; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| R. whereas secondary prevention plays a key role in protecting workers’ health by enabling the early detection of work-related health impairments, in particular those linked to psychosocial risks, and by ensuring timely intervention to prevent their aggravation; whereas it includes, inter alia, appropriate monitoring, alert and support mechanisms, including access to occupational health services and relevant support measures; whereas a structured approach to secondary prevention contributes to reducing the duration of absences, facilitating a sustainable return to work and preventing recurrence, thus complementing primary prevention measures; | R. whereas secondary prevention plays a key role in protecting workers’ health by enabling the early detection of work-related health impairments, in particular those linked to psychosocial risks, and by ensuring timely intervention to prevent their aggravation; whereas it includes, inter alia, appropriate monitoring, alert and support mechanisms, including access to occupational health services and relevant support measures; whereas a structured approach to secondary prevention contributes to reducing the duration of absences, facilitating a sustainable return to work, reducing symptoms of ill health following periods of absence and preventing recurrence, thus complementing primary prevention measures; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 1a. Stresses the far-reaching implications of work-related psychosocial risks on individuals, including adverse effects on mental and physical health, work–life balance, and private life, as well as the potential to cause economic hardship, particularly in cases of prolonged incapacity to work; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 7b. Calls on Member States to ensure that occupational health services and medical staff receive adequate and continuous training to better identify and assess psychosocial risks, including those specifically related to the workplace, and to enable early detection and intervention, in particular by raising awareness about the first signs of burnout and other work-related mental health conditions; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 10. Urges Member States to incorporate primary and secondary prevention measures into their national occupational health and safety strategies, ensuring effective coordination between healthcare systems, labour inspectorates, and social partners; emphasizes the importance of improving the collection, monitoring, and reporting of data on work-related psychosocial risks and associated absences, occupational diseases and injuries to enable a more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention and intervention measures; | 10. Urges Member States to incorporate primary and secondary prevention measures into their national occupational health and safety strategies while paying particular attention to more vulnerable groups, such as young people, ensuring effective coordination between healthcare systems, labour inspectorates, and social partners; emphasizes the importance of improving the collection, monitoring, and reporting of data on work-related psychosocial risks and associated absences, occupational diseases and injuries to enable a more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention and intervention measures; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 10a. Notes the detrimental effects that full-time telework may have on workers, particularly where it is imposed by the employer; highlights that such arrangements can hinder the development of meaningful social connections with colleagues, reduce opportunities for informal exchanges and peer support, and limit access to on-the-job learning and professional guidance; underlines that prolonged isolation, combined with blurred boundaries between professional and private life, may increase the risk of stress and burnout; stresses, therefore, the importance of ensuring a balanced and voluntary approach to telework, including adequate opportunities for in-person interaction and managerial support; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 11. Stresses the need for comprehensive return-to-work policies that support employees following illness or psychosocial difficulties; encourages Member States to develop tailored reintegration programs, including workplace adjustments, flexible schedules, and continuous occupational health support; highlights the importance of collaboration between employers, healthcare providers, and social partners to facilitate a smooth, sustainable, and inclusive return to work, while preventing relapses and promoting long-term well-being; | 11. Stresses the need for comprehensive return-to-work policies that support employees following illness or psychosocial difficulties; encourages Member States to develop tailored reintegration programs, including workplace adjustments, flexible schedules, and continuous occupational health support; highlights the importance of collaboration between employers, including human resources and occupational health services, healthcare providers, and social partners to facilitate a smooth, sustainable, and inclusive return to work, while preventing relapses and promoting long-term well-being; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 11a. Highlights the fact that Member States are unevenly equipped to protect workers against work-related psychosocial risks; notes that some Member States have already adopted specific legislative and policy measures to address those challenges; calls on the Commission, therefore, to strengthen knowledge in the Union about the most effective prevention measures by improving data collection and monitoring, assessing the impact of existing policies, and promoting the exchange of best practices among Member States, undertakings and social partners; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 14. Considers that the financial implications of the requested proposal should be covered by existing budgetary allocations; | deleted |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 14a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure adequate and coordinated funding across health, social and labour sectors for the implementation of workplace mental health measures, including access to expert guidance on effective interventions; to support enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in applying such measures without additional administrative burdens; considers that funding should also be used to strengthen resources for advising, monitoring and enforcing occupational safety and health standards related to mental health, as well as to enhance the capacity of health and labour services to identify and address work-related mental health issues, thereby improving access to care; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (4) The prevention of work-related psychosocial risks should be based primarily on collective and organisational measures, in accordance with the hierarchy of prevention, including the adjustment of workload, working time, job control, staffing levels, management practices and performance evaluation systems. Stresses that individual resilience training, counselling or wellbeing/wellness programmes cannot replace employers’ legal obligations to prevent work-related psychosocial risks by adapting work organisation, design and management. | (4) The prevention of work-related psychosocial risks should be based primarily on collective and organisational measures, in accordance with the hierarchy of prevention, including the adjustment of workload, working time, job control, safe staffing levels, management practices and performance evaluation systems. Stresses that individual resilience training, counselling or wellbeing/wellness programmes cannot replace employers’ legal obligations to prevent work-related psychosocial risks by adapting work organisation, design and management. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (6a) To ensure the effective monitoring and enforcement of this Directive at Union and national level, and its effects on ensuring improved health status of Union citizens, Member States should ensure adequate and timely data collection on the identified psychosocial risks, particularly by establishing effective data collection tools to provide comparative data, while being mindful of unnecessary reporting burden; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (3) “Psychosocial risk factors” means work-related risk factors related to the organisation, design and management of work, its social and relational context and working conditions, including high workload, high work intensity, long working hours, lack of autonomy, lack of support from supervisors, harassment, violence and discrimination behaviour, high emotional demands, high digital intensity, being subject to automated decision-making or monitoring systems, unrealistic targets; | (3) “Psychosocial risk factors” means work-related risk factors related to the organisation, design and management of work, its social and relational context and working conditions, including high workload, high work intensity, long or unpredictable working hours, lack of autonomy, lack of support from supervisors, harassment, violence and discrimination behaviour, high emotional demands, high digital intensity, being subject to automated decision-making or monitoring systems, unrealistic targets; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (3a) “moral distress” means distress arising when healthcare workers are constrained from acting in accordance with professional, ethical or clinical standards, including because of understaffing, insufficient resources, conflicting instructions or unsafe organisational arrangements; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (d) adapting the work to the individual, especially as regards the design of workplaces, the choice of work equipment and the choice of working and production methods, with a view, in particular, to alleviating monotonous work and work at a predetermined work-rate and to reducing their effect on health; | (d) adapting the work to the individual, especially as regards the design of workplaces, the choice of work equipment and the choice of working and production methods, with a view, in particular, to alleviating monotonous work and work at a predetermined work-rate, to avoiding imposed telework and to reducing their effect on health; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (g) developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organization of work, working conditions, social relationships and the influence of factors related to the working environment; | (g) developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organization of work, working conditions, safe staffing levels, social relationships and the influence of factors related to the working environment; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| 4. Employers shall also implement appropriate secondary prevention measures, including early detection mechanisms, access to occupational health services, and timely support for workers exposed to psychosocial risks. | 4. Employers shall also implement appropriate secondary prevention measures, including early detection mechanisms and risk-based prevention protocols for third-party violence in the healthcare sector, access to occupational health services, and timely support for workers exposed to psychosocial risks. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| The psychosocial risk assessment shall evaluate psychosocial risk factors including workload, work intensity, lack of autonomy, long working hours, lack of appropriate rewards and recognition resulting from poor performance and evaluation systems, emotional demands, exposure to adverse social behaviour, job insecurity, work–life interference, digital connectivity outside working time, or being subject to automated decision-making or monitoring systems; | The psychosocial risk assessment shall evaluate psychosocial risk factors including workload, unsafe staffing levels, work intensity, lack of autonomy, long and unpredictable working hours, lack of appropriate rewards and recognition resulting from poor performance and evaluation systems, emotional demands, exposure to adverse social behaviour, job insecurity, work–life interference, digital connectivity outside working time, or being subject to automated decision-making or monitoring systems; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) measures to reduce excessive workload, workforce shortages, work intensity and reduce monotonous work; | (a) measures to reduce excessive workload, workforce shortages, unsafe staffing levels, work intensity and reduce monotonous work; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| (aa) sector-specific measures for health and social care, including prevention of moral distress, management of emotional demands, rest and recovery arrangements after critical incidents, supervision and debriefing, and protocols for violence in the healthcare sector, from patients, relatives, care recipients or service users; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The action plan shall be subject to approval by the relevant protective and preventive services for psychosocial risks designated pursuant to Article 15. Workers representatives and trade unions shall be duly and systematically involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of this plan. | 3. The action plan shall be subject to approval by the relevant protective and preventive services for psychosocial risks designated pursuant to Article 15. Workers representatives and trade unions shall be duly and systematically involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of this plan. The action plan shall be regularly reviewed and updated as part of an ongoing improvement process. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Any restructuring, reorganisation of work or introduction of surveillance or digital management technologies shall be subject to a prior psychosocial risk assessment. | Any restructuring, reorganisation of work, including with regard to telework, or introduction of surveillance or digital management technologies shall be subject to a prior psychosocial risk assessment by employers and in cooperation with workers’ representatives. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| Employers shall integrate results into their safety and health systems, as regards possible risks of work-related accidents, psychosocial and ergonomic risks as well as undue pressure put on workers. The use of digital management technologies shall respect workers’ wellbeing and shall not put at risk their safety or their physical and mental health. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| Employers shall ensure regular follow-up during the return-to-work period, including the possibility to review and adapt the return-to-work plan. | Employers shall ensure regular follow-up during the return-to-work period, including the possibility to review and adapt the return-to-work plan and long-term follow-up actions to ensure the success of the return-to-work period. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| Employers shall ensure that workers are clearly and regularly informed about work-related psychosocial risks and the measures in place to prevent them and mitigate their negative impact. | Employers shall ensure that workers are provided with information, in writing and in a format accessible to people with disabilities, to ensure workers are clearly and regularly informed about work-related psychosocial risks and the measures in place to prevent them and mitigate their negative impact. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. In such cases, the employer shall inform those services or persons of all relevant factors known to affect, or suspected of affecting, the mental health and well-being of workers, including work organisation, working conditions, and interpersonal relations at work. | 4. In such cases, the employer shall inform those services or persons of all relevant factors known to affect, or suspected of affecting, the mental health and well-being of workers, including work organisation, working conditions, unsafe staffing levels and interpersonal relations at work. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 17a | |
| Occupational health services | |
| Member States shall develop education and training programmes related to psychosocial risks at work, for the purpose of allowing occupational health services and all relevant occupational health professionals to receive adequate, continuous and multidisciplinary training on psychosocial risks at work, including their identification, assessment, prevention and management. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| Member States shall ensure that effective data is collected for the purpose of monitoring trends in work-related psychosocial risks in accordance with obligations set in Chapter II. The data shall be prepared in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and regularly reported to institutions referred to in paragraph 1. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| Member States shall promote the active involvement of stakeholders, in particular social partners, in collecting and monitoring the work-related psychosocial risks and effectiveness of subsequent measures at national level. |
Annex: declaration of input 4 blocks
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she included in her draft opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the draft opinion, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| European Federation of Nurses Associations |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
| None |
Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.
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- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
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- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “DRAFT OPINION on Psychosocial risks, stress and mental health at work”. Text, 14 April 2026. docId SANT-PA-787021. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/SANT-PA-787021 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/SANT-PA-787021 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-sant-pa-787021,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT OPINION on Psychosocial risks, stress and mental health at work}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-04-14},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/SANT-PA-787021}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/SANT-PA-787021},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId SANT-PA-787021. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}