labour inspectors and unions address psychosocial hazards: researchers and practitioners collaborate...
TRANSCRIPT
Labour inspectors and unions address psychosocial hazards:
researchers and practitioners collaborate to protect workers’ mental health
Katherine LippelCRC in Occupational Health and Safety Law, University of Ottawa
Ximena Diaz, Amalia Mauro, Julia Medel, Diego Lopez Centro de Estudios de la Mujer, CHILE
Teasdale-Corti Program Symposium
1 – 3 October 2012
OTTAWA
www.proyectoaraucaria.cl
Research program: Axis 2
Comparative study of law, policy and interventions on psychosocial hazards, mental health and work, analysed through a gender lens
Policy studies in the Araucaria project
2007-2008Comparative analysis of
Québec and Chilean law
Adaptation of a Québec INSPQ surveillance tool for detection of psycho-social risk factors
2008-2012Implementation of the
surveillance tool, training in Chile.
Comparative analysis of regulatory instruments in many other jurisdictions.
Comparative study of implementation strategies.
Policy related activities of the research team
Three international seminars held in Santiago in 2007, 2010 and 2012 where researchers and research users from various countries, including Chile and Canada presented papers on themes related to the research programme
Four special issues of journals: describing the situation in 16 countriesWork and mental health (IJLP)Law of workplace bullying (JCLLP)Role of labour inspectors and unions in prevention of
mental health problems (Safety Science)Law of workplace bullying and harassment in the
Americas (Revista de Estudios Laborales)
Workers’ CompensationAcute-Chronic stress
No public policy mechanisms/tort law
Anti-harassment legislation
Risk assessment/Manageme
nt systems
Policy typologies regulating exposure to psycho-social risk factors
OHS regulationlabour inspection
Constitutional law
Why harassment/bullying?
It is politically easier to legislate on bullying because of the more individualistic approach
This may eclipse the need to address fundamentally important psychosocial hazards: job strain, employment strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity
Policy artificially divides the different hazards
Cox, 2010
Seminars and publications as tools for change
Capacity building objectivesTo multiply the tools
available for local, national and international research users to intervene in the workplace and to influence policy in order to reduce psychosocial hazards
To multiply the number of researchers and research users in a variety of jurisdictions who are interested or preoccupied by our core issues:Psychosocial hazardsGender perspectivePrecarious
employment
Challenge - 1
All of this to be done in a context of work intensification and globalisation where
‘‘many of the factors that have contributed to the declining influence [of workers’ representation on health and safety] are the same ones that contribute to the rise in psychosocial risks and their effects at work’’.
Walters, 2011
Challenge - 2
To learn more…
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, vol.30: 4-5, 2007
Safety Science, vol. 49:4, 2011
Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal, vol. 32: 1, 2010
http://www.droitcivil.uottawa.ca/chairohslawhttp://www.proyectoaraucaria.cl/