Psychosocial risks
Psychosocial risks are aspects of the design and management of work, and its social and organisational contexts, that have the potential for causing psychological or physical harm. Work-related stress is one of the health risks most frequently identified by workers in Europe. The factors that can cause stress for workers and influence their health and well-being can be related to the following: job content; work intensity and job autonomy; working time arrangements and work–life balance; social environment, including interpersonal relationships at work and social support; job insecurity and career development.
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3 September 2025
3 September 2025
March 2026
The overview report of the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 ( EWCS24) provides a comprehensive description of the workforce, and includes information on digital work practices, social relations at work and inclusive workplaces. It evaluates job quality across seven dimensions: earnings, prospects, skills and discretion, working time, work intensity, social environment and physical environment. The report looks at workers’ working lives, considering aspects such as r work–life balance, career and employment security, health and well-being and sustainability. It describes how jobs fare on the basis of job quality and the role of job quality in supporting good working lives.
Now in its eighth edition, EWCS24 maps changes in working life over more than three decades. This high-quality survey covers 34 European countries, including the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and six candidate and potential candidate countries : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. Over 35,000 interviews, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, took place as part of the survey.
Experts on Psychosocial risks
Researchers at Eurofound provide expert insights and can be contacted for questions or media requests.
Oscar Vargas Llave
Senior research managerOscar Vargas Llave is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and manages projects on changes in the world of work and the impact on working conditions and related policies: organisation of working time, remote work, the right to disconnect, health and well-being and ageing. Before joining Eurofound in December 2009, he worked as project coordinator in the field of health and safety and was responsible for the Professional Card Scheme for the Construction Sector in Spain at the non-profit Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in Madrid. He has a background in industrial sociology (Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca), and also holds a Diploma in Social Science Research Methods from the University of Cardiff and a Master’s degree in Health and Safety from the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Sara Riso
Senior research managerSara Riso joined Eurofound in 2006 and is currently a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. She is engaged in research projects focusing on digitalisation and working conditions. Before joining Eurofound, Sara managed research projects for large Brussels-based European associations and networks. Her academic background is in psychology, communication and languages. Her main research interest lies in exploring new workplace stressors arising from increased digitalisation of work, evolving organisational practices, and change management strategies to address the challenges posed by digitalisation in modern working environments.
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