Chronic stress, exhaustion, hyperconnection, quest for meaning, aging of the working population… In recent years, occupational health has become a strategic issue for human resources.
While the world of work is evolving at high speed – teleworking, artificial intelligence, intergenerational – HR must adapt, anticipate and sometimes rethink their practices to preserve the health of employees.
What challenges do companies expect in the coming years? How to transform occupational health into a lever for engagement and loyalty? And above all, how can HR act proactively in the face of increasingly systemic challenges? So many questions to which Isabelle Kunze, Head of Corporate Health Services, brings her insights and concrete ideas.
What are the main occupational health issues for HR in the coming years ?
The most striking challenges concern sedentariness and musculoskeletal disorders, but especially psychosocial risks and stress. These issues affect more and more employees, and the younger generations are not spared.
In addition to this, there are new challenges: managing hyperconnection, finding the right balance between teleworking and returning to the office, and strengthening diversity and inclusion by taking into account specific needs – such as women’s health, men or people with disabilities.
What developments do you see in the way occupational health is addressed ?
Many companies still remain in a reactive logic: they wait for the problems to be there to act. But the expectations of employees have changed. They want real measures, beyond fitness classes or fruit baskets.
The costs related to absences, both financial and human, also drive to mobilize.
Finally, the role of managers has become central: managing teams today has nothing to do with what it was thirty years ago. It is therefore necessary to develop the soft skills, now essential, in addition to technical skills (hard skills).
How has the role of HR evolved in the face of these challenges ?
HR are themselves under pressure and sometimes exhausted. Yet, they have a key role: anticipate, train, raise awareness and act before problems arise.
A key focus is the training of managers. They are the first point of contact with the teams and must be equipped to prevent risks. HR must also promote flexibility and autonomy, in line with a corporate culture lived and embodied by top management.
What challenges should HR anticipate in the face of an aging workforce ?
So that’s an excellent question, because for me, it’s a real headache. We know that the population is aging and that a significant number of employees will soon retire. This means vacancies in already stressed sectors, such as healthcare, where the shortage of qualified talent is real. But the reality is also that, past a certain age, it becomes much more difficult for seniors to get hired.
Companies will have to adapt: offer more flexible activity rates, review certain tasks and value the experience of older people through mentoring, training or skills transfer. Intergenerational work will be a major asset.
Which advice would you give to HR to prepare their organization for the challenges of tomorrow ?
First, anticipate changes and their impacts. Then, set up reliable indicators – absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover – to have a clear view of the situation.
Finally, invest in prevention and training: equip managers and act upstream, to prevent rather than have to repair.
