Psychosocial Risks at Work: What the European Parliament Is Asking For and What Employers Can Do Now

Burnout, chronic stress, bullying and unmanageable workloads are no longer treated as private troubles. On 6 October 2026, the European Parliament adopted a legislative-initiative resolution, by 413 votes to 210 with 29 abstentions, asking the European Commission to propose EU rules to prevent, eliminate or reduce work-related psychosocial risks.

It is important to be precise about what this is. The Commission is not obliged to follow Parliament’s request. It has three months to reply, either by setting out what it intends to do or by explaining why it will not act. Employer organisations argued before the vote that existing health and safety law is fit for purpose and that new rules would burden small and medium-sized businesses. So this is a signal, not yet a law.

What Parliament is asking for

According to reporting on the resolution, the requested measures include:

• Employer duties to protect workers’ mental and physical health, including policies against violence, harassment, bullying and discrimination.
• Regular psychosocial risk assessments, for example of excessive workload, followed by action plans with concrete measures.
• Assessment before major change. Introducing telework or automated decision-making and monitoring would require a prior psychosocial risk assessment, carried out with workers and their representatives.
• Limits on algorithmic management, including human oversight and a right to disconnect.
• Supported return to work after absence caused by psychosocial risks, with adjustments to hours, tasks or workload.
• Recognition of psychosocial risks as possible causes of occupational disease.

Employers’ groups have pushed back on several elements, including mandatory action plans, a legal presumption of causality and a standalone right to disconnect. They have, however, supported clarifying that existing risk-assessment duties already cover psychosocial risks.

You do not need to wait for a directive

Under the EU’s framework directive on health and safety at work, employers are already expected to assess risks to workers’ health and safety. Many regulators and occupational health bodies treat psychosocial factors as part of that. Whatever the Commission decides, the practical steps below are good practice, reduce absence and support retention.

1. Make workload visible. Look at hours, deadlines, staffing levels and after-hours messages. Ask teams where the pressure points are.
2. Run a psychosocial risk review. Use a structured survey or workshops covering workload, control, support, role clarity, relationships and change. Act on the results and tell people what you did.
3. Train managers. Most psychosocial risk is shaped by day-to-day management. Managers need to spot early signs of stress, hold supportive conversations and know when to involve HR or occupational health.
4. Strengthen anti-harassment practice. A policy is not enough. People need to trust that reports will be handled fairly and that retaliation is not tolerated.
5. Plan for change. Before introducing new tools, monitoring or ways of working, consult the people affected and assess the impact on workload and autonomy.
6. Prepare return-to-work. Agree adjustments and a gradual return plan with the employee, rather than expecting a full return overnight.

Psychological safety is the foundation

None of these steps works in a team where people fear speaking up. Psychological safety, the shared belief that it is safe to raise concerns, admit mistakes and ask for help, is what allows early warning signs to surface before they become burnout. Building it is a leadership skill that can be practised.

How we support organisations

Our psychological health and well-being training covers resilience, stress management and burnout awareness, our work-life balance training helps teams set sustainable boundaries, and our leadership programmes help managers lead conversations about workload and wellbeing. Contact us to discuss what suits your teams.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change quickly, so check current national law or ask your legal adviser before you act.