Global report on working conditions finds job quality of concern to all workers
Author: International Labour Organization & Eurofund, Published on: 7 May 2019
"Working conditions in a global perspective", 6 May 2019
A joint ILO-Eurofound report, Working conditions in a global perspective, covering about 1.2 billion of the world’s workers found stark differences in working hours, significant levels of intensive and emotionally demanding work and that the least-educated have worse overall working conditions and fewer opportunities to develop their skills...
Main findings:
- Working time differences are stark across countries...
- Intensive work – with tight deadlines and high-speed work – are experienced by one-third of workers in the EU and half in the US, Turkey, El Salvador and Uruguay...
- Regardless of the country, the least-educated get less access to opportunities to grow and develop their skills...
- Exposure to physical risks is frequent...
- Across the countries, women earn significantly less than men and are overrepresented at the lowest end of the earnings distribution.
- Up to 12 per cent of workers said they were subjected to verbal abuse, humiliating behaviour, bullying, unwanted sexual attention or sexual harassment.
- Job insecurity is widespread across countries, with at least 30 per cent reporting being in a job without career prospects...
The report stresses that job quality can be improved by reducing excessive demands on workers and limiting their exposure to risks. It also highlights the importance of a positive social environment at work, including a supportive management and colleagues, as well as social dialogue for improving job quality...