Trusted Office Mentor
No matter the size of the company, the employer has a responsibility to ensure the protection of the physical and mental health of workers at the workplace.
Legal framework
According to art.2 al.1 of the Ordonnance 3 relative à la loi sur le travail (OLT 3), « the employer is required to give all necessary instructions and take all necessary measures in order to ensure and improve the protection of physical and mental health».
OLT 3 is quickly the subject of comments from SECO, which proposes five measures that every Swiss company should implement, including the designation of a Trusted Person in the company (PCE), internal or external, to which the persons concerned can turn in case of conflict for advice and support in finding a solution to the problem.
On 9 May 2012, a decision of the Federal Court gave force of law to these comments and invited companies to appoint a trustworthy person in order to prevent internal conflicts and help protect workers’ health, particularly mental health.
An expanded field of activity
When we mention « PCE », the first words that come to mind are: mobbing and harassment. However, its scope is broader and has evolved towards the prevention and treatment of all psychosocial risks, such as:
- Discrimination
- Feeling of surveillance
- Stress
- Burn out
- Harassment (psychological/sexual)
- Offences against personal integrity
- Substance use
- Conflicts
Role of the PCE
The Trusted Person in the Company provides a telephone hotline for all employees of a company. The PCE receives the person in professional distress in a personal interview by phone or in person so that they can expose their situation to a neutral and caring third party in a secure and confidential environment.
