EU social partners agree to tackle violence and harassment
In this issue of European Employment Review we look at a major new agreement on workplace harassment and violence signed by EU-level trade union and employers' organisations. The accord aims to raise awareness of the problem and provide a framework for dealing with it.
There is mounting evidence that harassment, violence and bullying are increasingly widespread in the workplace, feeding a rise in work-related psychological health problems. Recent Europe-wide research found that 5% of workers had been exposed to bullying and/or harassment in the previous year, and a similar proportion had been victims of violence at work.
The EU-level agreement was signed in April. It promotes awareness-raising and training on the issue and requires enterprises to have a clear statement outlining that workplace harassment and violence will not be tolerated, specifying the procedure to be followed if problems arise. The accord lays down the principles to underpin these procedures, and provides that appropriate action should be taken against perpetrators and support given to victims. Responsibility for determining, reviewing and monitoring procedures rests with the employer, in consultation with workers and/or their representatives.
The agreement will be implemented over the next three years by national trade union and employers' organisations, such as the CBI and the TUC in the UK.
Mark Carley, editor, European Employment Review |
