A sustainable and effective method for monitoring stress in the workplace

Abstract Problem Technological progress has overall reduced chemical, physical and biological risks in the workplace. Psychosocial risks have now taken on a predominant role in protecting the health and safety of workers. Description The assessment of work-related stress is mandatory by law in all Italian companies. The variable nature of stress explains why such assessment should be continuous. What tools can be used for this purpose? How many resources can be devoted to this continuous duty? The Occupational Medicine at the Catholic University of Rome has developed and applied techniques that allow the stress of workers to be monitored as part of health surveillance through a small number of questions that are included in annual health promotion programs. Results For more than 20 years, workers’ stress levels have been monitored using two complementary models, the demand/control model and the effort/reward imbalance model, each based on short questionnaires (10-13 questions). Workers are invited to self-complete questionnaires during their periodical medical examination in the workplace. Anonymous data coming from medical surveillance is yearly submitted to the management and the workers’ representative, to search for shared preventive measures. The friendly and cost-effective method makes it possible to compare the stress levels of different work sectors, to follow the evolution of groups of workers over time and to promptly identify workers who should be supported by counseling. In a public health company. Despite the increase in workload, which in healthcare activities has been progressive over the course of 20 years due to the increase in demand and the shortage of personnel, attention to social capital and work organization has allowed us to keep the levels of perceived stress constant on average. Lessons The use of standardized stress assessment techniques is a cheap and efficient contribution to the quality of health monitoring of workers. Key messages • Monitoring work stress through health surveillance is a sustainable, economical and efficient method. • Asking workers to report on their stress levels contributes to greater participation in the management of health and safety at work.