Mental stress: New guide for companies

In Germany and Austria, the consideration of mental stress in the risk assessment or evaluation has been explicitly required since the end of 2013 in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (§ 5.6 ArbSchG) and the Employee Protection Act (§ 2 para. 7 ASchG). In Switzerland, too, employers are becoming increasingly aware of mental stress in the work environment, even without explicit legal requirements.

However, many companies are not limited to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, but work internationally. A new guide from the International SOS Foundation therefore provides a detailed basis for assessing mental stress in an international environment, to which employees are exposed at the company location, on business trips and during postings. It was developed in collaboration with various partners from the DACH countries.

Practical examples for illustration

The guide "Assessing mental stress in an international environment - A guide to safety, health and well-being for companies with a global workforce" shows how mental stress can be measured and how companies can address the issue worldwide as well as promote preventive measures. The latest publications from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are also addressed: For the first time, ISO 45003 and 45001 provide companies with two internationally uniform standards that can be used to assess and evaluate mental stress and the risks associated with foreign travel and stays. Checklists provide companies with concrete assistance in identifying hazards and introducing suitable countermeasures, but also help to address the issue in principle.

Three practical examples from the companies OMV AG (Austria), SAP SE (Germany) and Sulzer AG (Switzerland) illustrate common practice in internationally operating organizations. The companies describe how the programs to protect and promote mental health can look in concrete terms. International SOS offers a web meeting and an information page for interested companies to introduce the guide. The guide can be downloaded free of charge here.

Mental stress on the rise

According to WHO, prevalent conditions such as depression and anxiety increased by more than 25 % in the first year of the pandemic, in addition to the nearly one billion people already living with a mental health disorder. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in employee expectations over the past three years. Employees place a higher priority on mental health and expect their employers to be more supportive of their well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also produced two major reports on mental health in general and in the workplace in 2022 due to the high relevance of the topic.

Source: International SOS