Activities of Jordi CAÑAS related to 2021/2098(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Mental health in the digital world of work (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on mental health in the digital world of work
Amendments (42)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— having regard to the WHO Framework for Action on Mental Health,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— having regard to the 2008 European Mental Health Pact,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
— having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of October 2019 on the Economy of Well-being, calling for a comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 c (new)
Citation 9 c (new)
— having regard to the Council Conclusions of June 2020 on Well-being at work,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12
Citation 12
— having regard to the Eurofound report of 9 November 2021 entitled ‘Impact of COVID-19 on young people in the EU’, and the Eurofound report of 10 May 2021 entitled ‘Living, working and COVID-19: Mental health and trust decline across EU as pandemic enters another year’,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24
Citation 24
— having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) health policy study of 2021 entitled ‘A New Benchmark for Mental Health Systems: Tackling the Social and Economic Costs of Mental Ill Health’, and the study of OECD of 2021 entitled ‘Fitter Minds, Fitter Jobs: From Awareness to Change in Integrated Mental Health Skills and Work Policies’,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25
Citation 25
— having regard to EU-OSHA and Eurofound report of 2014 entitled ‘Psychosocial risks in Europe: Prevalence and strategies for prevention’,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the right to physical and mental health is a fundamental human right and also links to other fundamental rights such as the right to human dignity in Article 1 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the right to the integrity of the person, including mental integrity in its Article 3; whereas the WHO defines mental health as ‘a state of mental well-being in which people cope well with the many stresses of life, can realise their own potential, can function productively and fruitfully, and are able to contribute to their communities’10 ; __________________ 10 WHO, Mental Health: strengthening our response (Fact sheet, No. 220), 2018.
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the understanding of mental health issues in the workplace concerns both non-clinical aspects such as well-being, stress, burnout, and clinical aspects, mental disorders such as depression, drug addiction, alcohol disorders; whereas there needs to be a clear distinction between non-clinical and clinical mental health issues in order to avoid misunderstanding and stigmatisation, and in order to design and implement the right measures and treatments to manage them;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the pandemic hasEurofound research shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped organisational and managerial practices1a; whereas the pandemic has also changed working conditions for many workers in Europe, highlighting new and current issues related to psychological well-being in the workplace; and aggravating pre-existing ones; __________________ 1a Eurofound (2021a), ‘Monitoring and surveillance of workers in the digital age’ (Research digest) in The digital age: Implications of automation, digitisation and platforms for work and employment, Challenges and prospects in the EU series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the mental well-being of those facing financial uncertainty, as well as of vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities, the LGBTI+ community, the elderly, persons with disabilities and young people; healthcare and long-term care workers -the majority of whom are women-, young people (particularly LGBTQ youth)2a and people with lower socio-economic status, as well as of persons with disabilities and pre-existing mental health issues, and the unemployed; __________________ 2a Hawke LD Hayes E Darnay K Henderson J Mental health among transgender and gender diverse youth: an exploration of effects during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2021; 8: 180-187; Fish JN McInroy LB Paceley MS et al. “I'm kinda stuck at home with unsupportive parents right now”: LGBTQ youths' experiences with COVID-19 and the importance of online support. J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67: 450-452;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas workplace issues that affect non-clinical mental health aspects include job burnout and stress, harassment, violence, stigma and discrimination; whereas one in four European workers feel work has a negative impact on their health12 ; __________________ 12 Eurofound, 6th European Working Condition Survey, 2017.
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the costs of mental ill health are estimated at more than 4 % of GDP across all EU Member States;6a whereas the cost of work-related depression has been estimated at EUR 620 billion a year, resulting in EUR 240 billion lost economic output13 ; __________________ whereas the calculated costs of all headache in the EU are over EUR 110 billion annually, of which, about EUR 50 billion correspond to the costs of migraine;7a __________________ 6a OECD/European Union (2018), Health at a Glance: Europe 2018: State of Health in the EU Cycle, OECD Publishing, Paris/European Union, Brussels, https://doi.org/10.1787/health_glance_eur -2018-en. 7a Linde M, Gustavsson A, Stovner LJ, Steiner TJ, Barré J, Katsarava Z, Lainez JM, Lampl C, Lantéri-Minet M, Rastenyte D, Ruiz de la Torre E, Tassorelli C, Andrée C. The cost of headache disorders in Europe: the Eurolight project. Eur J Neurol. 2012 May;19(5):703-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2011.03612.x. Epub 2011 Dec 5. PMID: 22136117. 13 Opinion of the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (EXPH): ‘Supporting mental health of health workforce and other essential workers‘, 2021.
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that during the COVID-19 pandemic mental health has been affected by many factors including education, health, economic, employment and social inclusion policies and poverty, poverty, social support and more limited access to treatment; calls for mental health to urgently be tackled by cross-sectional policieand integrated policies, as part of a comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy that is supplemented by national action plans;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis have caused a huge strain on the well-beingmental health of EU citizens, with higher rates of stress, anxiety and depression;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Regrets that mental health has not had the priority awarded to physical health, has been deprived of funds and has been short of qualified staff across Member States, despite the intrinsic benefits associated with improved health and wellbeing and the large economic productivity gains and higher levels of work participation that derive from investments in public mental health; believes that rapid actions are needed to improve the current situation;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for a follow-up on the implementation of the WHO European Framework for Action on Mental Health and Well-Being 2021-2025;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that the TEU allows for more EU action on health than has actually been taken; considers mental health to be the next health crisis and that the Commission must examine all relevant possibilities to tackle this, including the urgent creation of an comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy, in line with the Council Conclusions of October 2019 on the Economy of Well-being;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that the TEU allows for more EU action on health than has actually been taken; considers mental health to be the nexta health crisis and that the Commission must examine all relevant possibilities to tackle this, including the urgent creation of an EU Mental Health Strategy;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that an EU Mental Health Strategy should aim to require Member States to integrate mental health services with physical services given the interlinkages between the two, to deliver evidenced-based, effective and compassionate care, to expand the services so that more adults can access treatment, to support people to find or stay in work, inter alia;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the pandemic demonstrated the need for coordinated EU- level action to respond to health emergencies, revealing shortcomings in foresight, including in preparedness and response tools; believes that the current mental health crisis should be considered a health emergency;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. AIs concerned about the greater work-related mental health risk among health and long-term care workers, sectors suffering from growing staff shortages; applauds the frontline staff who sacrificed their own well-being to perform life-saving work during the pandemic; calls for Member States to ensure that they have immediate access to adequate mental health resources, preventing mental ill health and supporting their mental health;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises that employment can be one of the elements that provides individuals with purpose and a sense of identity; notes, however, that the purpose and sense of identity can be challenged in a context of increasing digitalisation of work; emphasises the positive relationship between good mental health and, well-being at work productivity;14 and adequate working conditions; __________________ 14 OSHWiki, Mental Health at Work
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that proactive approaches to digitalisation, such as flexible work hours negotiated between employers and employees, a human-centric design and use of technologies; and establishing employee assistance programmes, can help to mitigate work- related stress; notes that more research is needed on whether and how artificial intelligence systems mayor digital applications can provide further options for this;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes Directive (EU) 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers as it provides flexibility and alleviates work-related issues; stresses however, that women continue to be disproportionately affected; take up the bulk of family-related leave, which continues to negatively impact career progression, pay and pension entitlements;7a __________________ 7a Eurofound (2018); Striking a balance; Reconciling work and life in the EU
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the shift to teleworking during the pandemic and the flexibility it provided to employees could improvean impact work- life balance; encourages companies to provide clear and transparent rules on teleworking arrangements; calls on the Commission to present a legislative framework establishing a set of minimum standards and conditions for remote work across the Union ensuring decent working conditions; in the meanwhile, encourages companies to provide clear and transparent rules on teleworking arrangements to avoid risks such as longer working hours,8a social and professional isolation, or the blurring of work and home time; __________________ 8a Eurofound and ILO (2017), Working anytime, anywhere - the effects on the world of work
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is concerned about the disconnect between current policy on mental health and attitudes in the workplace creating stigma; emphasises that due to stigma and discrimination, employees often feel unable to discuss mental health issues; recognises that employees who return after mental health leave are often poorlynot always well accommodated; calls for workplaces to provide clear information about their in- house mental health support services;15 __________________ 15 WTW, 2021 Employee Experience Surveyset up in-house mental health support services to facilitate early recognition and access to treatment, increase their tools to identify employees who may suffer from depression and direct them towards treatment, support reintegration, help to prevent relapses, be prepared to deal with suicidal events with a view to avoiding cluster suicides;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that the measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers are not effective for the assessment and management of psychosocial risks; calls on the Commission to recogniseregrets that the data currently available from population-based surveys is often limited to a few specific mental health disorders, or specific age groups10a; calls on the Member States to collect data in a harmonised way on the self-reported work-related anxiety, depression and burnout in their labour force surveys; asks the Commission to assess, together with the EU-OSHA and the relevant scientific authorities, whether and how work-related anxiety, depression and burnout can be recognised as occupational diseases (i.e. where a direct link is established between the exposure to risk factors arising from work activities and the mental health issue contracted by the worker), to establish mechanisms for their prevention, treatment, and the reintegration into the workplace of those affected and to move from individual-level actions to a workhole organisational approach16 ; __________________ 10a Source OECD (2018) Health at a Glance: Europe 2018 State of Health in the EU Cycle, https://www.oecd- ilibrary.org/docserver/health_glance_eur- 2018- en.pdf?expires=1646167976&id=id&accn ame=ocid194994&checksum=380B3DA9 576D002F760CA6331F350BF2, P. 21. 16 European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2021), Telework and health risks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the field and policy implications, 2021.
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Calls for an EU wide information campaign on mental health awareness to address the stigma, misperceptions, and social exclusion that is often associated with poor mental health;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to propose, in consultation with the social partners, a directive on the management of psychosocial risks and well-being at work aiming to effectively prevent psychosocial risks in the workplace (also online), train management and workers, periodically assess progress and improve the work environment; considers that occupational safety and health prevention policies should also involve employees in the identification and prevention of psychosocial risks; notes that employee- attitude surveys can provide useful information on stress levels and sources, making it easier for the management to identify issues and make adjustments needed;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that it is essential for managers to be provided with the psychosocial training required to adapt to work organisation practices and foster a deep understanding of negative mental health and the workplacemental health training to be able to take appropriate and timely action to support employees experiencing mental health issues and foster a deep understanding of the interlinkages between mental health and the workplace; believes that enterprises should explore the designation and training of a mental health reference employee or the creation of an informative section on the workplace’s internal communication platform to signpost employees to mental health services;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to acknowledge and raise awareness on the impact on the mental health of workers of highly prevalent and disabling neurological disorders such as migraine; notes the importance of raising awareness in the workplace on the importance of identifying and avoiding triggers to prevent migraines;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the labour inspectorates to target the psychosocial working environment in inspections; invites the Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee to put forward a new campaign on psychosocial risks building on the findings of the 2012 campaign and the recent developments;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines that given the lack of sufficient mental health support and policies in the workplace, employees often have to rely on services provided by non- governmental organisations (NGOs) who often lack support and resources themselves; calls for workplaces to ensure employees have access to in-house mental health support and remedies and information to steer the employees to healthcare professionals able to provide evidence-based treatment; calls on the Member States to ensure that public healthcare includes easy access to remote counselling;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Encourages the Commission to launch education and awareness initiatives on mental health in the workplace; urges the Commission to makdesignate 2023 the EU Year of Good Mental Health to achieve this;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recognises that the lack of statistics on the prevalence of mental health issues within the workplace especially within SMEs and among SME owners and the self-employed, undermines the need for urgent intervention; calls for Eurostat to gather statistics which include mental ill health and its negative impactsdata on the effectiveness of the different types of interventions to promote a better mental health in the workplace;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is concerned that entrepreneurs and SMEs in particular are in need of support to manage the impact of everyday pressures and stressors, as well as the challenges of running a business on their mental health, as well as to promote mental health awareness in the workplace and calls for EU-level efforts to assist them in risk assessment and the implementation of good practices;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Member States to assess the possibility of creating local and/or regional level intermediation services for psychosocial risks to provide advice and technical support to the self- employed, employers/managers and workers (especially from micro- enterprises and SMEs), organisations and social partners on psychosocial risk prevention, on psychosocial conflicts in the workplace, as well as to disseminate information on psychosocial risks and their prevention;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. PMental health of young people has worsened significantly during the pandemic11a ; regrets that young people are not the centre of mental health research investments, in spite of the predictable long-term benefits of early intervention;12a; points out that 64 % of young people between 18 and 34 were at risk of depression in 2021 due to lack of employment, financial and educational prospects, as well as loneliness and social isolation; calls on the Commission to address the disruption in access to the labour market which has put young people at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues17 ; __________________ 11a https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy- responses/supporting-young-people-s- mental-health-through-the-COVID-19- crisis-84e143e5/ 12a Woelbert, Eva; White, Rory; Lundell- Smith, Kierstin; Grant, Jonathan; Kemmer, Danielle (2020): The Inequities of Mental Health Research (IAMHRF). Digital Science. Report. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13055 897.v1 17 OECD, Supporting young people’s mental health through the COVID-19 crisis, 2021, and European Youth Forum, ‘Beyond Lockdown: The ‘Pandemic Scar’ on Young People’.
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)