Informing or enforcing? Labour inspectors and the regulation of psychosocial risks
Psychosocial risks (PSRs) are a challenge for regulating bodies. The purpose of this study is to examine how labour inspectors practically address this topic during their audits, and to identify the constraints they encounter. A mixed-method approach was used, combining a questionnaire survey, activity observations, self-confrontation interviews and an exchange of experiences during a workshop. Inspectors face constraints related to their professional context, the relationships with the employers, workplace characteristics, and the difficulty to involve employees. To address PSRs, they mainly resort to an incentive inspection style and require general process measures. Work content and organisation remain sparsely investigated. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening regulatory strategies in order to regulate PSRs in a changing world of work.