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1
Using the ILO SOLVE Programme to Promote the
Quality of Work and Social Dialogue in the
Enlarged European Union
"Psychosocial Risk Management-European Framework"
Berlin, Germany
Dr. David Gold International Labour Office
25 January 2008
2
Case study

• 16-18 years old
• First job
• Lack of experience
• Lack of tacit knowledge
• Lack of formal knowledge
• Strong desire to succeed

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Hazards
Situation
Level of risk
Outcomes
Physical

• Occupational accidents
• Occupational diseases

• High personal demand
• High professional demand
• Limited or no control over demands

Biological

• Absenteeism, presenteeism, job loss
• Pain, distress, illness
• Disability
• Death

Increased exposures to risks
Chemical
Ergonomic

• Stress (Burnout)
• Violence
• Depression
• Addictions (Alcohol, drugs, smoking, cyber
  addiction, gambling)
• Inadequate nutrition
• Inadequate exercise
• Strong sexual drive

Psychosocial
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Can Social Dialogue Play a Role in Reducing the
Risk of Psychosocial Problems Related to Work?
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Disharmony at Work May Have Many Causes

• It was perhaps not so difficult when all the
  workers came for the same village or the same
  community.
• With the highly mobile workforce of today,
  workers may now, in Europe come for different
  countries, speaking different languages, with
  different cultural values

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Definition The Ottawa Charter

• Health promotion is the process of enabling
  people to increase control over their health and
  its determinants.
• This is done be strengthening individual skills
  and capabilities and the capacity of groups to
  change the many conditions, particularly the
  social and economic causes, that affect health.
• 1986

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The Karasek Model
Demand
High
Low
High
Control
Low
Source Karasek 1979
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• The ability of a worker to discuss issues with an
  employer, without fear, gives a worker a feeling
  of control
• A higher perception of control translates into
  less stress
• Can the reduction of stress lead to a lower risk
  of psychosocial problems?

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Addressing Psychosocial Problems at Work

• An ILO Educational Approach to Formulate a
  Comprehensive Policy and Actions at Work to
  Address These Problems

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Examples of the Scope of the Problem

• In Canada, 50 of workers suffer from a high
  level of stress (1999, Public Heath Canada).
• In Europe, 23 of workers reported overall
  fatigue (2000, European Survey on Working
  Conditions).
• In a US study, 32 of 586 nurses identified
  themselves as victims of workplace violence
  (Colorado Nurses Assn, 1997).
• In a study of 954 New South Wales police
  personnel in Australia, 20 would seek advice
  from work-place staff about alcohol (1999).

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The Problem
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(No Transcript)
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Expanding SOLVE
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What SOLVE Addresses of the Top Ten Health Hazards

• Underweight
• Unsafe sex
• High blood pressure
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Contaminated water
• Sanitation and hygiene
• Iron deficiency
• Indoor pollution
• High cholesterol and obesity

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Factors Influencing Psychosocial Issues
Work
The family
The person
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Focus on the Individual

• For the worker
• higher risk of accident
• increased family or social problems
• stigmatization and discrimination
• deteriorating health
• physical or psychological illness
• pain, distress, disability and death

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Focus on the Workplace

• For the enterprise or organization
• poor morale
• increased absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover
• reduced productivity
• reduced profits or services
• higher costs
• reduced competitiveness

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The Goal of SOLVE
Integration of psychosocial issues into a
comprehensive organizational policy and
development of action based on the policy
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The SOLVE Cycle
Broadening organizational policy through SOLVE to
include psychosocial problems
Identifying specific problems and assessing needs
Evaluating workplace psychosocial problems and
modifying the concept as needed
Implementing workplace action through MicroSolve
modules
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The SOLVE Programme
The SOLVE methodology moves from concept to
policy to action

• Briefing package for managing directors 2 hours
• The SOLVE policy-level course 4 days
• SOLVE for mid-level managers 3 days
• Course for peer counsellors 2 days
• SOLVE for course directors 5 days
• An introduction to SOLVE for workers 1 hour
• MicroSOLVEs (22) 1.5 hours

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Adjustment to Culture, Ethnicity and Language
through Simulation
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Methodology
Each of the SOLVE elements follows an educational
scheme that works in multiple domains of learning

• Building an open attitude towards the subject
• Building a sufficient knowledge base so that the
  participant can apply knowledge learnt
• Applying the new knowledge through exercises

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• Within the 32 hour SOLVE Policy Course, there are
  twelve hours of role-play simulation exercises.
• Participants bring into the simulation exercise
  their cultural, ethnic, ethical values and apply
  them in a non-threatening policy building
  exercise.
• The simulation exercise is based on the concept
  that through social dialogue, problems can be
  solved and both quality and productivity can be
  assured.

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What is the Policy-Level SOLVE Course?
A 32-hour interactive programme for operational
managers

• Provides tools to design a corporate policy
  including psychosocial problems
• Demonstrates the impact on workers families and
  communities
• Highly interactive
• case study analysis
• simulation exercises and
• policy development activities

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Capacity to Organize SOLVE
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Capacity to Organize SOLVE

• SOLVE has been translated into in the following
  languages
• English
• French
• Spanish
• Thai
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Bulgarian
• Italian
• Arabic

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For Further Information
Dr. David Gold SOLVE SafeWork International
Labour Office 1211 Geneva 22 Switzerland   Email
solve_at_ilo.org Phone
41-22-799-7515 Fax [phone] Web site
www.ilo.org/safework/solve