The Fourth European working conditions survey reports that 5% of European workers report having been exposed to bullying and/or harassment in the 12 months preceding the survey, done in autumn 2005. The same proportion report having been on the receiving end of violence. Women, office workers and employees in big firms appear most exposed to the risk. The sectors most affected are health and social work, education, public administration, transport, along with hotels and restaurants.

• The fourth European Conditions Working European Survey
  Eurofound, 2005.
• Preventing violence and harassment in the workplace
  Eurofound, 2005. 
• Violence, bullying and harassment in the workplace
  Eurofound, 2004. 

On 26 April 2007, the European social partners (ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, UEAPME, CEEP) signed an autonomous framework agreement in which they recognise that harassment and violence at work can have "serious social and economic consequences". The text urges all employers to have a clear statement that such practices "will not be tolerated". Employers should also lay down a procedure to prevent, identify and deal with cases of harassment or violence, after consulting the workers and/or their representatives. The procedure can include an informal stage in which a person trusted by the employer and workers intervenes.

The agreement also provides that employers will give support to victims and may discipline perpetrators. The provisions apply to harassment and violence carried out by anyone in the firm’s service, but can be extended to third parties (customers, subcontractors, etc). The agreement, which represents the outcome of 10 months’ hard bargaining, will come into effect in April 2010. The social partners will carry out an annual follow-up on the agreement, which may be reviewed in 2012.

• Text of the Framework Agreement
• Social partners’ press release

The TUTB, the forerunner of the European Trade Union Institute’s Health and Safety Department, hosted a discussion and awareness-building seminar for union health and safety officers in December 2004.

Before entering into negotiations, the European social partners took part in a joint seminar in May 2005, called to map out each side’s broad options and the timetable for negotiations. A selection of the presentations delivered by experts at both seminars is given below.

• Harcèlement au travail au regard de la législation européenne sur la non discrimination
• Preventing violence and harassment in the workplace
• Violence at work

• Violence at the workplace
  (N°19-20 September 2002)
• Psychological harassment at work and the law
  (N°19-20 September 2002)

• Questionnaire on bullying at work (TUC, UK)
• Violence at work. A guide to risk prevention (Unison, UK)
• Tackling violence at work (GMB, UK)
• Unions act against violence at work
• Combating domestic violence through the workplace: a pilot project involving trade unions, employers and workers

• Managing work-related violence in licensed and retail premises
  Health and Safety Executive (UK), 2008
• Bus violence
  BBC website
• Crime and disorder on public transport
  Department for Transport's website (UK)
• Violences contre agents : la problématique des agressions physiques des agents du service public de l'énergie survenues en service et commises par des tiers
  Thierry Gerber (CGT, France), 2007
• La prévention des risques professionnels dans le secteur de la sécurité privée (gardiennage et surveillance)
  UNI-Europa, ULB, CoESS, 2004

• Stratégie SOBANE - Gestion des risques professionnels : aspects psychosociaux
  SPF Emploi,Travail et Concertation sociale (Belgique), 2008
• Violence risks in nursing - results from the European ‘NEXT’ Study
  Madeleine Estryn-Behar et al. Occupational Medicine, 2008 
• Prévenir ensemble les risques d'atteinte psychologique au travail
  Les cahiers des FPS, décembre 2007
• Dépister les risques psychosociaux. Des indicateurs pour vous guider
  INRS, 2007
• Violences, harcèlement moral ou sexuel au travail : facteurs de risque organisationnels
  Service public fédéral Emploi,Travail et Concertation sociale, 2006
• Agir sur les souffrances relationnelles au travail. Manuel de l’intervenant confronté aux situations de conflit, de harcèlement et d’emprise au travail
  Service public fédéral Emploi,Travail et Concertation sociale, 2006
• El acoso sexual a las mujeres en el ambito laboral
  Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos sociales, 2006
• Commission "Violence, travail, emploi, santé"
  Final report, 2005
• Occupational violence risk for precariously employed adolescents: multiple vulnerabilities to multiple risk factors
  Mayhew, Claire. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 2004
• A safer place to work. Protecting NHS hospital and ambulance staff from violence and aggression
  National Audit Office, 2003
• Violence at work in hotels, catering and tourism
  ILO, 2003
• Violences au travail, harcèlement moral et sexuel. Synthèse de la recherche sur les caractéristiques et les conséquences pour les travailleurs féminins et masculins
  Service public fédéral Emploi,Travail et Concertation sociale, 2003
• Violence at work
  Bilbao Agency , 2002

• Trade Unions Congress
• Usdaw Freedom from Fear campaign
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• International Labour Organization
• World Health Organization
• Health and Safety Executive (UK)
• Workplace Harassment (Workplace Safety Advice, UK)
• Workplace Violence (Maybo, UK)
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
• Commission des normes du travail du Québec (CCOHS)
• Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval
• "Prevent violence at work: its works!"

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