The digital transformation of the workplace has ushered in a revolution in efficiency and innovation. However, a series of new challenges has also emerged, particularly around the health impact of digitalisation on the workforce. A recent conference at the European Parliament explored this very modern health risk, examining how the changing workplace is beginning to impact on European workers.
Sponsored by employee experience platform Edenred, an official partner in the European Union’s OSHA campaign for healthier working in the digital age, the event brought together policymakers, worker representative bodies, and employers. It considered what actions are needed to protect workers in a new and rapidly changing environment.
“This is a very important subject, and one of the major challenges we face collectively,” said Belgian MEP Estelle Ceulemans who hosted the event. “Occupational mental health problems have a massive impact - not only on the workers themselves but also on companies that rely on their workforces.”
MEP Ceulemans, who sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs also gave the conference an update on progress to address these critical issues. She promised two major policy announcements on the impact of technology in the workplace would be made in the very near future.
Ceulemans commitment to action is important and timely. The conference heard how, as digital tools reshape work environments and bring benefits such as flexibility and innovation, they also exacerbate risks like digital fatigue, social isolation, and stress. Those effects ripple through the workforce, impacting productivity, damaging morale, and reducing overall wellbeing.
Meaningfulness is at the heart of worker identity, and when we dehumanise work processes, we lose a vital aspect of this
Manal Azzi of the International Labour Organisation highlighted the challenge faced by workers and detailed the impact on individuals and businesses. She acknowledged that some progress has been made, but called for further action that recognises the new challenges that workers are facing.
“The rapid changes in digitalisation are having a direct effect. Concepts like the 'right to disconnect' are part of this discussion, but it goes much deeper,” she explained. “The burden of mental health diseases impacts productivity as well as human health.”
And, with the rapid development of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), it seems that current trends are only likely to accelerate. AI, speakers argued, could raise issues of job security, which will have a profound impact on individuals who are left grappling with fears of redundancy and diminished autonomy.
“Meaningfulness is at the heart of worker identity,” Azzi explained to attendees. “And when we dehumanise work processes, we lose a vital aspect of this.”
What Azzi and other speakers highlighted is that European workers now face a new era of blurred boundaries between personal and professional lives, heightened by the growth of remote work and constant connectivity. Addressing these challenges, speakers warned, requires a unified European response, that combines regulation and dialogue.
Speakers predicted that failure to take action will potentially damage much more than the workers themselves. European companies will also be affected, with experts warning that ultimately that may carry financial consequences.
Ignacio Doreste Hernandez of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) believes that there is a strong business case for investing in solutions that recognise and respond to risks that contribute to employee dissatisfaction and declining mental health.
“The evidence provided by agencies and other research highlights the importance of acting now,” Doreste Hernandez told the conference. “Studies show that addressing these risks effectively yields significant returns within just a few years.”
In some cases, workers remain in what Kris de Meester of BusinessEurope described as “golden cages.” These are, he explained, roles where security trumps satisfaction, leaving employees disengaged and unmotivated. Such scenarios, de Meester argued, could ultimately damage productivity for European businesses.
Speakers agreed that the way forward demands a balance, where employers navigate the dual challenges of leveraging digital technology to enhance efficiency while safeguarding the human connections that make work fulfilling.
In order to achieve that, the conference was told, Europe needs a legislative framework to address workplace mental health. That framework, speakers argued, should focus on the unique challenges created by digitalisation, offering minimum standards while allowing for sector-specific flexibility.
“We firmly believe that a dedicated directive on psychosocial risks is necessary,” said Nayla Glaise, President of Eurocadres. “While the 1989 directive establishes that all risks at work must be addressed, it’s clear that psychosocial risks haven’t received the specific attention they require.”
Glaise’s call for a new directive was part of a broader consensus on the need for a balanced response, - a framework that protects workers without overburdening employers. Other speakers stressed that legislation and regulation cannot be the only solutions. Stronger dialogue between employers and the workforce is also essential.
Manal Azzi urged trade unions and employer organisations to work closely together to develop policies that reflect the realities of modern work environments.
“Participation by workers and employers has been shown to be essential in shaping processes on the shop floor,” he said. “They help determine what works and what doesn’t, ensuring that work remains meaningful.”
The societal and economic costs of these problems are enormous and affect everyone
It is clear that action is vital if we are to create working environments where employees feel valued, engaged, and supported. By addressing the root causes of mental health challenges like digitalisation, such a framework would not only improve individual well-being but also enhance economic performance.
“The societal and economic costs of these problems are enormous and affect everyone,” MEP Ceulemans said.
As MEP Ceulemans argues, safeguarding mental health in the digital era is now both a moral imperative and an economic necessity. As Europe navigates this transformation, collaboration between policymakers, employers, and workers is essential. Together, they can ensure that digital progress does not come at the expense of human well-being, instead enhancing it for generations to come.
Find out more about the Healthy Workplaces Campaign