The adoption of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), reaffirms the ILO’s values and priorities as it continually strives to improve conditions of labour as set out in its Constitution. This recognition of the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment (V&H) was followed by the inclusion of a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights. In light of these developments, the Governing Body of the ILO requested that the International Labour Office conduct research on how to ensure that occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation and management systems address V&H.

This publication, Preventing and Addressing Violence and Harassment in the World of Work through Occupational Safety and Health Measures, is therefore an ILO research report specifically designed to respond to the need for a better understanding of the role of OSH frameworks in creating working conditions free from V&H. It is being issued as part of the research project entitled “Practical Guidance and Tools to Prevent and Address Violence and Harassment in the World of Work: An OSH Perspective”, which is jointly funded by the European Commission and the ILO.

The report aims to shed light on some of the questions that the actors in the world of work face in designing workplace strategies to address V&H. How can OSH regulatory frameworks help to prevent V&H in the world of work? Is a general duty of care for workers’ health provided for by OSH legislation sufficient to prevent V&H in the world of work? What type of regulation related to OSH can work: hard law or soft techniques?

This report draws on national efforts and experiences in designing and deploying OSH legal and practical toolkits to combat V&H. Using examples from all regions, it seeks to provide governments, employers and workers with a deeper understanding of the linkages between policy and practice, in particular by investigating the role played by guidance and tools in making OSH interventions operational at the level of enterprises.