The most frequently answered question was which strengths and weaknesses mark the current state or current measures for the protection and promotion of health at the workplace under mental strain. Only one response contained no infor-mation on strengths; the most comprehensive of the seventeen individual responses came from the business world and contained, among other things, indications on extensive workplace-specific strategies and offers.
In every response, at least two weaknesses were noted. The most extensive lists of weaknesses, with 14 and 17 individual items, came from a health insurance provider and a company.
The most frequently answered question was which strengths and weaknesses mark the current state or current mea-sures for the protection and promotion of health at the workplace under mental strain. Only one response contained no information on strengths; the most comprehensive of the seventeen individual responses came from the business world and contained, among other things, indications on extensive workplace-specific strategies and offers. In every response, at least two weaknesses were noted. The most extensive lists of weaknesses, with 14 and 17 individual items, came from a health insurance provider and a company.
An overview of the emphases in terms of content:
STRENGTHS: HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HEALTH FOR PEOPLE FACING MENTAL STRAIN AT THE WORKPLACE
• Consciousness shift: Lifting the taboo on the subject of mental well-being, increasing acceptance, a broader and partially more nuanced depiction of the subject in the media
• Improved research, increase in knowledge, broader know-how in workplace health promotion, occupation health and safety, and health protection
• A good foundation with workplace health promotion and workplace health management and high competence among long-term actors, for example, among several social insurance providers
• Greater pressure to act resulting from demographic developments and other trends with their impact on the work world (lack of skilled employees, work-life balance)
• Strengthening through legislation and other legal regulations as well as company guidelines
• An increased importance placed on the subject in important policy areas
• Progress in the area of collaboration, networking (for example GDA, psyGA)
• More differentiated range of providers and services
• Increasing sensitivity, qualifications and measures taken (in large companies)
• Programmes, good practice and incentives facilitate spread
Here, as a good foundation for the progress achieved and further activities, particular mention was made of the compre-hensive activities of the statutory health insurance providers, the many years of experience in workplace health promo-tion, and collaboration and networking with other players, as evidenced by the GDA and in the psyGA project.
The consensus achieved, for example, about foundations on the approach and the quality of the relations of collabora-tion, the programmes elaborated, strategies and measures, formed as central orientation that could be further devel-oped in the companies themselves. However, on a company basis, a comprehensive approach in terms of workplace health promotion / workplace health management including mental health is mainly considered possible in large com-panies, where it is sometimes also implemented. A number of different examples of good practice and measures were mentioned on an operational level (see appendix).
The broad and positive representation of altered (legal) conditions and labour protection was put into perspective by the description of weaknesses on almost all points. The points of criticism referred to the depth of regulation, reliability, and a lacking (monitoring of) implementation.
Weaknesses also resulted from goal and interest conflicts that take place with increasing workload and lacking leeway for manoeuvre in terms of shaping the workplace on a company level.
Here an overview of the most important weaknesses:
WEAKNESSES:
HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION FOR PEOPLE FACING MENTAL STRAIN AT THE WORKPLACE
• Still too much of a taboo, the stigmatisation of those affected and counterproductive labelling (for example, burnout); low priority placed on the subject at companies
• Legislation and other regulations are too imprecise and are not (sufficiently) implemented, doubt in the practicability of the instruments and approaches, lack of company incentives
• Insufficient security of action in the realm of risk assessment
• Under the label “workplace health promotion”, offers are mostly behaviour-based, the shaping of work conditions is generally neglected;
implementation problems, particularly in the realm of small to mid-sized companies
• No unified definition, confusion of terms, deficits in research and knowledge among central key players, lacking resources and compe-tence
• Weakness in support from social insurance providers and work and health insurance protection, shortcomings in the cooperation be-tween the social partners, exploitation of the topic
• The range of offerings, instruments, and service provider’s leads to confusion, can lessen quality, and prevent action; the quality, practica-bility, effectivity, and efficiency of the measures are controversial or implausible
• Economic crises, acceleration and increased workloads prevent sustainable and widespread implementation
On the future opportunities and threats, 35 SWOT participants responded for each category. Here there were also 17 individual items mentioned by a responding company.
A high level of agreement was revealed on the estimation that demographic developments will strongly promote the value placed on good work in general, the pressure on companies to act, a lifting of the taboo on the subject, and the acceptance of people with different perfomance profiles. Additional social developments and trends and changing value orientations will increase efforts towards a better balance between requirements and resources.
The opportunities can be summed up as follows:
OPPORTUNITIES:
HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION FOR PEOPLE FACING MENTAL STRAIN AT THE WORKPLACE
• Overall transformation of the world of work, demographic developments, lack of skilled personnel, and change in values among employ-ees support opportunities for change
• Legal frameworks, rules and regulations (when possible Europe-wide) promote an awareness of the subject and its implementation in companies
• On the political level, an increased interest in the issue and its impact on the economy leads to an increase in the significance of (compa-ny) prevention
• An openness towards the subject is growing once again and an increasing number of businesses of all sizes are taking on the subject – also as a factor in competition
• The pressure to act in the companies is leading to more activities targeted to specific groups, for example, catered to older employees and woman. The possibilities for a comprehensive implementation of workplace health promotion and workplace health management are increasing
• Collaboration of (non) corporate players is increasing
• Due to their involvement, the acceptance of the social insurance providers is increasing; their competence is increasingly growing, for example, as part of collaborations (GDA), thus contributing to a more objective discussion
• Unions are working increasingly in this area
On a political level, responses indicated a noticeable increase and broadening of interest, as is shown in a shift of per-spective in health policy towards more prevention and in altering our systems of incentive. Opportunities for players in the field of labour protection and among the social insurance providers were seen in the increasing acceptance of their expertise and competency as consultants.
Responses indicated that employee representatives and employers support the treatment of the subject and the imple-mentation of measures on a company level. Here, many opportunities for improvement were recognized. Beside
sensi-tization and qualification of company players, respondents found that other external agents would endorse the internal offers and support the measures.
Equally, threats were identified in terms of all mentioned areas of content and action, as shown in the following overview.
On an individual level, respondents found these threats in the increasing demands placed in all areas of life that could lead to an increase in disorders and illnesses. The responses criticized the already existing lack of sufficient and adequate care.
With a changed economic situation, the responses indicated that the strategies, programmes, and good results on a company level would probably soon be open for discussion. Threats were also seen as the result of mergers and staff reduction among important external supporters (health insurance providers, professional associations).
Different opinions were expressed on whether additional legal measures are urgently necessary.
THREATS:
HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION FOR PEOPLE FACING MENTAL STRAIN AT THE WORKPLACE A limitation to the world of work is as misleading as unnuanced discussions; the primacy of the performance society and competition lead on the whole to an increase in constant overtaxing, inappropriate stress at the workplace, and crises in gratification
Due to macroeconomic factors like economic downturns and business pressure, the subject once again threatens to disappear from the political agenda
Disputes over legal regulations and other conflicts between the social partners can prevent the implementation of measures on the compa-ny level
Companies pursue short-term economic interests; the consequences are trivialized, problems individualized, the weak are sorted out, responsibility assigned to health experts or an insufficient health care system
Certain management systems, competition within the company, a service orientation, permanent availability, growing demands in terms of mobility, and similar factors contribute to an increase in workload
Conflicts over goals and interests among social insurance providers; staff cutbacks among consulting and monitoring institution; recruiting problems among medical officers
One-sided orientation of measures leads to behavioural changes in the person concerned
In response to the question on the “three most important suggestions toward improving health protection and promo-tion at the workplace,” in 32 responses more than 90 answers were recorded. They dealt primarily with the following:
RECOMMENDATIONS:
HEALTH PROTECTION AND PROMOTION FOR PEOPLE FACING MENTAL STRAIN AT THE WORKPLACE Overarching suggestions
• Make the discussion more objective and professionalized and a clear commitment of the stakeholders
• Clarify terms, transfer knowledge, and close research gaps
• Improve networking and collaboration on the political and institutional level
• Promote a respectful company culture, organisational and employee orientation
• Anchor the subject in company cultures, organisational and staff development processes
• Integration and dissemination through workplace health promotion and workplace health management Occupational safety and health
• Expand competencies, offering more security
• Develop and present a few coordinated instruments: for small to mid-sized companies as well
• Receive adequate resources and financing, more oversight staff
• More closely monitor the implementation of state regulations On the enterprise level
• Develop a culture of respect, systematic treatment of the subject for example in workplace health management, use acquired knowledge and know how to develop, implement, and evaluate structural measures
• Avoid aimless activism; keep health protection and promotion in mind in developing the organisation and staff
• Sensitization, qualification, and support of leaders and other internal actors, for example, medical officers, safety experts, addiction and social counsellors, interlining responsible specialist divisions and / or inclusion of external experts
• Keep health protection and promotion in mind when selecting, training, and developing managers
• Involve the worker’s council in risk assessment
• Sensitization and strengthening the employees for their own health and the early inclusion in processes
• Keep in mind special circumstances for small companies