Denmark: Managing psychosocial risks in European micro and small enterprises – qualitative evidence from the Third European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER 2019)

This report presents the case of Denmark in a qualitative follow-up study of the Third European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER 2019) on management of psychosocial risks in micro and small enterprises. While the results from the study are largely aligned with the ESENER 2019 findings regarding management of psychosocial risks in Denmark, the study reflects additionally on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the managers and workers interviewed in the project.

In the participating micro and small establishments, time pressure, work overload and stress were the main psychosocial risk factors reported by managers and workers. Meeting expectations and securing employee wellbeing were the main reasons for addressing occupational safety and health.

The Danish company culture approach has several clear strengths but some challenges were reported when addressing specific issues. The effectiveness of workplace risk assessments can be strengthened with improved implementation and management of the follow-up on action plans.