Book Description

The European workforce is increasingly diverse. Several elements are at the heart of this diversity, including the growing presence of migrant, refugee and second-generation migrant workers, a higher presence of women in the labour market, a greater participation and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) workers and an increase in disabled and older workers. This growing workforce diversity is attracting the attention of both employers and legislators across Europe and beyond, who are increasingly shaping company policies and legislation to recognise such diversity as an asset, and to protect workers from discrimination and unfair and unequal treatment. A number of employers seem increasingly convinced that diversity in their workforce can be an asset, rather than an issue, and that diversity management policies can attract the most talented individuals and can lead to improved decision-making, attract customers orientation and employee satisfaction, conferring also some level of competitive advantage on the company (McKinsey, 2015). In addition, European and national legislators are developing legislation to effectively enforce equality, equal opportunities and anti-discrimination practices in different domains (i.e. access to the labour market and health services, equal treatment with regard to employment and working conditions or equal protection against occupational health and safety risks). The International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1958 approved the Convention on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) (Convention No 111), intended to remove 'any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation'. At EU level, several pieces of legislation have been introduced in this domain and transposed into national legislation, including Directive 2000/78/EC (the Employment Equality Directive), Directive 2006/54/EC and Council Directive 89/391/EEC on the safety and health of workers at work, which stresses that 'particularly sensitive risk groups must be protected against the dangers which specifically affect them'. In addition, the EU Occupational Safety and Health Strategic Framework 2014-2020 emphasises the important role that OSH policy can play in combating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities in EU policies. Nevertheless, the existing evidence suggests that the specific groups of workers mentioned above still find it more difficult than other workers to access employment. If employed, they are more likely to be in jobs with poor working conditions and less rigorous poorer occupational safety and health (OSH) standards and they are more likely to experience exclusion and discrimination, resulting in increased psychological and physical health risks, including musculoskeletal health risks. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought these issues to the fore. There have been several serious outbreaks among migrants workers in Europe, exacerbated by inadequate and unhygienic living and working conditions, with clear health consequences. For these reasons, the European Union Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) commissioned a study to investigate the extent to which workforce diversity is associated with poor working conditions and higher exposure to OSH risks, with a specific focus on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).