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RESPECTFUL, EQUITABLE AND SAFE PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH CO-CREATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Project description

Safer and more inclusive workplaces in Europe

Fair and respectful workplaces are important for everyone’s well-being and equal opportunities, but this is not always the case. Despite extensive legal protections and growing awareness, harassment and inequity in professional environments persist as systemic problems. The EU-funded RESPECT project aims to tackle these issues by engaging with workers, employers, technology experts and researchers in order to explore why unfair treatment, harassment and exclusion occur, and how employees, organisations and society are affected. RESPECT will utilise cutting-edge technology, such as mobile apps for anonymous reporting and analytics to detect risk patterns, to amplify reach and impact. RESPECT will finally deliver validated training curricula, digital platforms, model workplace policies and actionable EU- level recommendations for employers, practitioners and policymakers.

Objective

Workplace harassment, bullying, and discrimination remain pervasive in Europe, undermining fundamental rights, wellbeing, and productivity. Recent surveys indicate that around one in five Europeans has personally experienced discrimination or harassment at work in the past year.1 Women and minority groups are disproportionately affected – for example, 5.23 million women in the EU felt discriminated against at work in 2021 (versus 3.63 million men)2– and psychosocial risks have been exacerbated by new working arrangements (e.g. remote work enabling cyberbullying).3 This not only causes severe health impacts (stress, depression, cardiovascular problems)4 but also imposes economic costs as affected employees disengage or leave (66% report productivity drops and nearly half quit jobs early in such conditions)5. The EU’s policy framework – from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 31) to equality directives – affirms the right to a workplace respectful of one’s dignity. Yet, gaps between policy and practice persist, and there is a clear need for innovative approaches to foster truly inclusive and safe professional environments.
RESPECT directly responds to this challenge by integrating social innovation with technology and co-creation. The project will bring together researchers, employers, employees (and their representatives), and tech specialists to co-design and implement interventions that promote respect, equity, and safety in workplaces. Building on an interdisciplinary approach (social sciences, psychology, data science, and law), RESPECT will first map the prevalence, causes, and consequences of workplace harassment and inequity across sectors and countries. Using participatory methods, we will then develop and pilot new solutions – such as interactive training tools, AI-assisted reporting mechanisms, and collaborative policy-development workshops – with end-users, not just for them.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL2-2025-01

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Coordinator

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
Net EU contribution
€ 425 375,00
Address
CHARILAOU THERMI ROAD 6 KM
570 01 THERMI THESSALONIKI
Greece
Region
Βόρεια Ελλάδα Κεντρική Μακεδονία Θεσσαλονίκη
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (18)

Partners (1)