Fifty-five examples of good practices were collected during the project. These can be searched by theme, sector or by country below.
Updates
Swedish state sector report on threats, violence and undue influence
As the Swedish government intends to ratify ILO Convention NO 190 which provides for a working environment free of violence and harassment, a new report finds that this is far from being the case in the country’s state sector.
​Published every year by EPSU’s Swedish union ST, the 2026 survey on working conditions finds that 28% of state employees have been directly exposed or witnessed violence or harassment while doing their job, among them 43 % have personally been exposed during the last year.
The agencies or services most affected are the National Board of Institutional Care (dealing with compulsory care), the Prison and Probation Services, the Social Insurance Agency as well as Public Employment Service and the Migration Agency.
​In other words, the prevalence is higher in services dealing with people in a vulnerable situation and who are under severe constraints.
​The survey also finds that young employees are more exposed than older colleagues, women are more often exposed to threats and harassment, while men are more often exposed to physical violence.
The problem has become structural and growing in some part of the government sector.
Violence and harassment is not only a workplace matter with long term consequences for the employees, but it is also a matter of democracy and rule of law.
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When civil servants work under pressure, fear or threats, it can affect impartial, fair decision-making with equally serious consequences for the people.
The report reaffirms the need for sufficient staffing and reasonable workload, not working alone (at least in some given sectors) clear tasks and responsibilities as well as better leadership, an open, transparent work culture where workers feel free and confident to report wrongdoings are central to a safe work environment.
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ST Workplace Survey 2026, in Swedish and in English (AI generated).
Sodexo/ IUF declaration of intent on domestic violence
Because domestic violence is widespread and has repercussions on the world of work, the IUF and Sodexo Group want to work together and declare their shared desire to contribute to building an empathic world of work, where trust and confidentiality are key, and to develop a framework with specific measures to implement policies that mitigate the impacts of domestic violence.
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“Sodexo” refers to the company Sodexo SA and all subsidiaries under its control;
“IUF” refers to the International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ associations and its affiliated unions in the Sodexo business sectors. Tjhe full declaration can be found here: https://54920227-7a9a-4e1c-a8d7-2c9ca3686b96.usrfiles.com/ugd/549202_44eb7b81171c4aeea7ed214aed5ab97e.pdf
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ETNO and UNI Europa ICTS joint statement on protecting all telecommunications workers from violence and harassment at the workplace
services workers’ union for workers in ICT and related services, signed a joint commitment to provide a safe and inclusive work environment for all telecommunications employees. In their joint statement, ETNO and UNI Europa ICTS pledge to work together and apply appropriate measures to prevent violence and harassment in the telecommunications industry workforce. The role played by social dialogue and collective bargaining between trade unions and employers is extremely important, so are the applicable co-decision rights of workers regarding health and safety at work are respected. The joint statement can be found here: https://etno.eu//downloads/news/202230315_violence%20joint%20statement.pdf
EU Draft Directive on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence
Commission on 8 March 2022), the European Parliament issued a report on 7 March 2023 Combating violence against women and domestic violence. The proposed directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence would require Member States to criminalise certain offences, take steps to protect and support victims of all forms of violence against women, prevent such violence, improve access to justice, and ensure coordination between relevant authorities and services. The report can be found here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2023/739392/EPRS_BRI(2023)739392_EN.pdf
ILO Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190
By 25 June 2023 31 countries had ratified ILO C190. For the list of countries that have ratified see: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/violence-harassment/lang--en/index.htm. For further information about ILO C190 see: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/violence-harassment/lang--en/index.htm
Building safe spaces: domestic violence and the workplace, EU-OSHA Discussion Paper
The effects of domestic violence on survivors’ lives are seldom confined to where it takes place, with the majority of victims experiencing disruptions to their career as a consequence. The negative impact of abuse on their health, productivity and overall wellbeing can also affect their co-workers and employers.
This discussion paper by Jane Pillinger outlines how domestic violence is a workplace issue and provides examples of legal and policy frameworks at the EU and national levels. It also recommends useful workplace measures that can support survivors effectively and help combat abuse. https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/building-safe-spaces-domestic-violence-and-workplace
Domestic violence and the workplace: OSH-Wiki
This article discusses how domestic violence can spill over into the workplace and what practical steps can be taken in the workplace. While domestic violence can affect the workplace, only fairly recently has it been recognised as an issue that should be addressed as part of measures to eliminate violence and harassment at work. https://oshwiki.osha.europa.eu/en/themes/domestic-violence-and-workplace
Violence in the workplace: Women and frontline workers face higher risks, Eurofound Blog
Women and frontline workers are most exposed to the risks of adverse social behaviour at work, such as burnout, exhaustion, anxiety and depression.This is according to the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 (EWCTS): a high quality, probability-based survey covering over 70,000 interviews in 36 countries, conducted between February and November 2021.
