Working papers

Occupational stress and stress prevention in specific occupations

Occupational stress can no longer be considered an occasional, personal problem to be remedied with palliatives. It is becoming an increasingly global phenomenon, affecting all categories of workers, all workplaces and all countries. This trend - coupled with its rising cost to the individual, to industry and to society as a whole - has greatly heightened awareness of the need for effective and innovative ways of tackling stress.

Resource list | 23 July 2014
Stress prevention at the workplace has proved particularly effective in combating stress, by attacking its roots and causes, rather than merely treating its effects. In line with such an approach, this series of working papers is aimed at providing concrete advice on how to prevent stress in specific occupations particularly exposed to stress. For each occupation considered, the paper indicates a number of preventive measures targeted to the elimination of the causes of stress, rather than the treatment of its effects, and how these measures can become an integral part of the necessary organizational development of a sound enterprise and eventually pay for themselves.

The series includes the following working papers:As the series is intended to stimulate action at enterprise level, its primary audience will consist of managers, supervisors, workers, workers' representatives and engineers who have a concrete interest in introducing anti-stress programmes within their enterprise and an open approach to improvements and change. The series is also directed at policy-makers, as well as government officials and workers' and employers' organizations with a direct interest in this area.