ABSTRACT
Economic globalization based on free market principles, designed to create a flexible workforce, increase productivity and profitability (Schnall et al., 2009) and enabled by technological innovation, has profoundly changed the structure of the labor market and the nature of work in recent decades. Other manifestations of global trends include the increase of precarious contracts and job insecurity which raises the risk of occupational illnesses [(European Agency for Safety and Health at Work) (EASHW, 2002)] as lead to significant financial costs to organizations as well as to society in terms of both human distress and the impaired economic performance (EASHW, 2012).These changes have been associated with new and emerging types of risks to worker´s health and safety referred as psychosocial risks (PSR)(ILO 2010). Stress is probably the most PSR mentioned. According to the European Commission, in 2002, the yearly cost of work-related stress and the related mental problems in the 15-EU of the pre-2004 EU was estimated to be on average between 3% and 4% of gross national product, amounting to €265 billion annually. Nearly one in three of Europe´s workers (more than 40 million people) report they are affected by stress at work, which is responsible for millions of lost working days per year (EASHW, 2012). According to EASHW, in 2002, the economic cost of work-related stress in the EU-15 was estimated
validity in assessing and understanding the most relevant psychosocial dimensions inherent in the employment context, appearing in an attempt to better understand the influence of these factors on worker health. Some studies suggest a relationship between specific characteristics of organizations and the effects on health of workers (Laszlo et al., 2010; Schnall et al., 2009). There are others who do not support this relationship (Isepen & Langaa, 2012; Lindstrom, 2009). Although political and social community trend for recognize the role of working conditions “linked” to diseases, there is some difficulty in finding studies that establish a specific relationship of cause-effect relationship between the conditions the workplace and the problems that affect the health of workers. The systematic review aims to determine the evidence between psychosocial characteristics of organizations and their impact on workers’ health.
