Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a great strain on working life and the work environment. This report has compiled interviews and research on how different countries dealt with the challenges they faced in connection with the pandemic. How the different countries chose to act during the pandemic and the background to their decisions, what consequences the pandemic had for working life and what considerations should be made in preparing for a future crisis.
Results
Lessons and recommendations for future crises:
- Workplaces as transmission environments: The pandemic showed that workplaces are not only vulnerable to the spread of infection – they can also amplify it. Therefore, contingency plans must include workplace-specific strategies.
- Strengthened prevention work: There is a need to strengthen infection control systems within the framework of continuous work environment work. This means investing in preventive infrastructure, clear routines and common hygiene standards in all sectors.
- Open communication: Clear and rapid information is crucial to gaining acceptance for protective measures. Trust is built through proactive dialogue, which is a key to safer and more resilient work environments.
- Better data management: Improved systems for collecting, collating and analyzing work environment data are crucial. This enables knowledge-based decisions during crises and supports targeted interventions.
- Collaboration between disciplines: Effective future measures require collaboration between different areas of expertise – occupational health, public health, behavioral science and communication – to ensure well-coordinated efforts.
- Guidelines for remote and hybrid work: Guidelines should be developed that ensure flexible, inclusive and health-supportive forms of work in the event of disruptions.
- Long-term resilience: There is a great need for investments in the long-term resilience of society and workplaces. This requires inclusive dialogue between parties, capacity development and robust crisis management structures.
- PEROSH’s role going forward: In future crises, PEROSH can play an important role in supporting researchers and experts in the field of work environment.
The countries that participated in the work are Austria, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Poland, France and Sweden.