Violence and harassment at work: ISO 45003:2021 and UNI/PDR 125:2022 as a framework for preventing and managing risk

P. Del Guerra | Dipartimento di Prevenzione, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Firenze, Italy

Introduction. The issue of psychosocial risks (PSRs), and in particular violence in the workplace, is highly topical. One obstacle to implementing effective prevention measures is the absence of explicit references in Legislative Decree 81/08, particularly with regard to risk assessment (Ra). However, a recent contribution to the debate on PSRs concludes that “the main risk to be avoided is reducing everything to the introduction of new assessment tools,” so it is necessary to “seize the opportunity to include these risks in an integrated occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), which requires a systemic approach to risk management, as shown by the recent ISO 45003 standard” (1).
UNI ISO 45003:2021, hereinafter “ISO 45003,” is a global standard, in the form of a guideline, which provides practical and methodological guidance for the management of psychosocial risks (2), defined in §3.3.1, incorporating it into a broader OHS program. ISO 45003 includes occupational well-being, defined as “the fulfillment of a worker's physical, mental, social, and cognitive needs and expectations related to their work” ($3.3.2) (2).
 Therefore, from the perspective of systemic management of psychosocial risks, it is also necessary to consider aggression, violence, and harassment at work, which are fully part of it (2).
UNI/PdR (reference practice) 125:2022 — Guideline on gender equality, hereinafter “UNI 125,” also takes into consideration the same issues of violence and harassment, not only from a gender perspective (34).
Objectives. Identify which management systems (MS) and UNI and/or ISO guidelines may be useful for addressing the issue of RPS and violence and harassment at work in a structured manner. If so, analyze the approach of these frameworks to the issues in question and their general structure. Estimate the number of companies in Italy that use these MS/guidelines. Examine possible advantages and critical issues in their implementation.
Methods. The UNI database was consulted, identifying: -an international guideline (UNI 45003) (1); -the certifiable national PdR UNI 125 (2).
ISO 45003 is a non-certifiable guideline, a specification of the UNI ISO 45001:2018 standard (hereinafter “ISO 45001”) (3); however, it can also be implemented independently of ISO 45001 (of which the new “European” version is currently in force); It applies the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, the process approach, and risk-based thinking, and shares the High Level Structure with “new generation” documents, helping organizations that intend to implement multiple standards.
In 2021, the Ministry of Equal Opportunities launched the National Strategy on Gender Equality (PG), inspired by the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25, providing for third-party certification of PG (UNI 125) as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Next Generation EU - Mission #5: Inclusion & Cohesion). UNI approved it in March 2022 as an official, albeit not definitive, tool; it has an impact on the prevention of violence and harassment, not only gender-based, which is, however, secondary to the primary objective, PG. Web research was conducted on the number of companies with certification.
Finally, the Joint Commission International has introduced specific requirements for the prevention and management of violence and harassment (5) into its hospital accreditation system, which can be taken as a further example of a systemic approach, but are not discussed in detail here.
Results and conclusions. ISO 45003 itself indicates that the overall management of psychosocial risks is a useful strategy for the prevention of violence, aggression, and harassment, including in relation to gender diversity (2). The scope (81) is explored in depth with examples relating to violence and harassment (Annex 2), with three relevant categories: ‘civility and respect’, ‘violence at work’ and ‘harassment’; and includes the promotion of well-being at work (2).
Examining the salient aspects: 1) organizational context (84.1-2) - each OHSMS must be customized: there are no systems that are good for all organizations; 2) commitment of (top and middle) management (85Leadership): this is a necessary condition for success; 4) participation (85.4): workers and their representatives take on the central role reserved for the “customer” in quality management systems (no to top-down approaches); 5) awareness of the issue ($7.3) at every level of the organization (2).
The application of ISO 45003 can also be limited to the specific issue, maintaining a consistent framework.
UNI 125 was created in Italy to manage the issue of PG in a structured manner: in this context, it also addresses the issue of violence and harassment, without limiting itself to the gender perspective.
For prevention ($6.3.2.6), in addition to complying with regulations and contracts, the organization must: a) identify the risks of all forms of physical, verbal, and digital abuse (harassment) in the context of OSH; b) prepare a plan to prevent and manage incidents; c) provide specific training on “zero tolerance” for all forms of violence, including sexual harassment; d) provide an anonymous reporting method to protect those who report; e) conduct interviews with employees, investigating whether they have experienced such behavior in the workplace or in outside work; f) assess the work environment from this perspective as well; g) assess risks and analyze adverse events; h) ensure constant attention to language (3).
As of 1.4.23, there were 296 UNI 125 (4) certified companies and 2267 (+666%) as of 12.6.24 (6), indicating rapid growth; however, no data is available on the implementation of ISO 45003 (not certifiable).
ISO 45003 and UNI 125 require employers to adopt a structured approach, integrated into the company organization, involving management and workers themselves, identifying policies linked to measurable objectives, an action plan, and a system for evaluating and verifying effectiveness.
Both share a ‘data-driven approach’: while ISO 45003 provides general guidelines, UNI 125 provides Key Performance Indicators, including 5.4.6 (contacts and company practices to protect the working environment) (3), which will be developed at national level by the Department for Equal Opportunities (6). Real data is needed to measure actual improvements in OSH: in the case of violence and harassment, this will involve collecting data on events, but also on health outcomes: the occupational physician should play a key role (ISO 45003,88.3-7.5).
For violence, harassment, and other psychosocial risks, the challenge is to move from a culture of assessment to one of management as an opportunity to improve organizations in terms of worker health, well-being, and productivity, where assessment is an important tool but not an end in itself (1).
The implementation of a framework makes it possible to compensate for the lack of validated and shared assessment methods, which hinders the effective application of Legislative Decree 81/08, where it requires the assessment of ‘all risks’ (Art. 2, para. 1, letter q) and the adoption of consequent measures. We therefore have two methods (suitable, however, for structured organizations rather than small businesses) for creating a new OSH paradigm, where the focus shifts from the risk assessment process to the measures adopted, the evaluation of their effectiveness, and the improvement of well-being at work.