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Introduction
This article focuses on the psychosocial risk of violence and harassment in the world of work. It discusses emerging psychosocial risks that can lead to violence and harassment, along with trade union (and social partner) involvement in identifying and tackling the problem. In many countries, violence and harassment at work are viewed as an occupational risk, closely connected to work-related stress, with profound consequences for workers' physical and mental health and well-being.
Data show that violence and harassment at work are a major and growing problem, most commonly reflected in psychological violence, which is often invisible in the workplace (ILO, 2016a; EU-OSHA, 2010; Pillinger, forthcoming; Eurofound, 2016). Evidence from trade union surveys also points to significant problems of sexual harassment at work and has led to trade union mobilization, awareness raising and negotiations. In a survey carried out in the United Kingdom by the TUC in association with the Everyday Sexism Project, more than half of all women - and nearly two-thirds of young women - had experienced sexual harassment at work. A strong link was found between the high levels of sexual harassment experienced by younger women and the fact that the latter are more likely to be in low-paid, casual, insecure work (TUC, 2016).
In addition, our understanding of violence and harassment has changed, and there is now much greater awareness that violence can take the form of harmful psychological control, particularly over women workers. In Europe, data shows that although physical violence at work has declined, other forms of violence and harassment - such as threats, intimidation, bullying and unwanted sexual attention - are prevalent in the workplace (Eurofound, 2015). There is also well-documented evidence of the negative impact of violence and harassment on workers' health and well-being, and of their strong association with higher levels of absenteeism and staff turnover (Eurofound, 2016). Trade unions have highlighted how difficult it is to measure the problem effectively as, compared to other psychosocial problems, the number of reported cases of violence and harassment at work is low. Under-reporting often stems from shame and guilt, a societal and workplace culture of silence and impunity around violence, and a fear of reprisals or further intimidation or harassment in the workplace (Pillinger, forthcoming). As women are...