Healthy work in a national and international perspective

Abstract

Abstract In the first part of this chapter, the intervention perspective of healthy work is extended beyond the meso-level context of enterprises and other organizations to include national labour and social policies as well as programmes of international organizations. New research results from cross-country investigations across Europe illustrate the important role of integrative and protective labour market policies in securing good quality psychosocial work environments along with improved well-being of working people. Policy efforts of supranational organizations, specifically the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, promote national-level developments, most effectively in high- income countries. In contrast, low- and middle- income countries still suffer from substantial shortcomings in occupational health and safety measures, implementation of international standards of decent work, and of essential labour and social policies. The second part of the chapter addresses challenges of improving these conditions. Transformation of work in the context of economic globalization and technological innovation, accelerated by threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, offers a window of opportunity. Promoting occupational health research, including its psychosocial dimensions, in these regions is one component of a set of pro-active strategies needed to strengthen healthy work in the Global South.