Patients at the Workplace

Key steps

 

2017

In 2017, EPF put increased efforts on working with its members on ending discrimination in the workplace and on the employment market. The aim of the EPF informal temporary task force on discrimination in the workplace and on the employment market made up of EPF members and setup in 2017 is to develop a set of tools to promote better inclusion of patients with chronic and long term conditions in the workplace, to be published early 2018. This set of tools is directly relevant to EPF’s strategic goal on non-discrimination, to promote the development of EU and national policies that tackle discrimination faced by patients in employment.

In this context, organisations promoting occupational health and safety and (re)integration of patients in the workplace have been invited to present their work, providing the opportunity for dialogue and potential cooperation with patient organisations.

2016

In January 2016, EPF published a position statement entitled "Equal treatment for patients in education and employment" to highlight this issue and provide recommendations on how to tackle discrimination.

A factsheet on equity at work is also available here.

Also in 2016, EPF became a partner of the EU Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA) campaign on healthy workplaces for all ages. In this capacity, in November 2016, EPF co-hosted a Slovak Presidency endorsed conference on early intervention in Bratislava with the Fit for Work Global Alliance and AOPP, our member in Slovakia.

EPF also provided a response to the European Commission’s consultation for a European Pillar on Social Rights. This is a high-level, cross-cutting initiative, allowing EPF to highlight the importance of applying the principle of health in all policies.

2013

EPF responded on 26 August to the Commission’s consultation on the new EU Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) policy framework. This consultation was an opportunity to flag patients’ specific needs in the workplace as well as interest of the patient community to be further involved in policies on safety and health at work. EPF drafted a response based on our past work on health literacy as well as the EPF consultation response to the chronic diseases reflection process. The response was reviewed by the EPF Policy Advisory Group.