Protection from Negative Psychological Effects in the Work Environment: An Occupational Health Perspective

Abstract This article relies upon international and foreign legal provisions to assess legal links between the prevention of negative psychological effects in the working environment and the protection of employees’ health. It presents the results of qualitative interviews, illustrating situations described by victims in which they have suffered damage to their health as a result of psychological effects at work, citing this damage as the main reason for terminating the employment relationship at their own request. The article also aims to assess how research findings in the fields of medicine, psychology, sociology and public health, which suggest that prolonged psychological exposure in the work environment can influence the development of relevant diseases, are reflected in legal systems and practice. The author engages with interdisciplinary research among Lithuanian law and other scholars and practitioners on the development of the legal protection of victims in Lithuania.