Addressing the Emerging Hazards of Hybrid Work: New Tools for Assessing and Managing Psychosocial Risks in Italy

Background: The measures taken to manage Covid-19 have encouraged the spread of hybrid work. Thanks to the use of ICT, this working modality has the advantage of providing flexibility, an effective reshape of work organization, and a reduction of space constraints. However, the massive application of hybrid during the pandemic has led to substantial changes in the work methods, resulting in the onset of new psychosocial risks for workers' health and safety. Despite the lessons learned from the COVID-19 management, the emerging psychosocial risks associated with hybrid work - and their implications - are still under study. In Italy, the INAIL’s Methodology for the Assessment and Management of Work-Related Stress risk is widely used by organizations, being a scientifically sound methodological process to evaluate psychosocial risks. Nevertheless, due to the aforementioned changes in the ways of working, we believe it is crucial to identify additional tools aimed at investigating the potential 692 related risks. This would enable organizations at 1) reducing their negative impact on workers' health, and 2) optimizing the benefits of hybrid work. Consequently, the aims of this study are to identify, develop and test new tools for assessing the psychosocial risks associated with hybrid work. Our purpose is to integrate the INAIL’s Methodology with ad-hoc tools for the organizations using hybrid work in their daily work activities. This would enable them for an effective evaluation of the main emerging psychosocial risks at work. Method: We started with a literature review to explore the main risk factors emerging from hybrid work. Then, a series of interviews were conducted with OSH professionals and experts (employers, health and safety managers, etc.) to detect their main concerns on this work modality. Based on these insights, some tools were identified or developed, and subsequently tested for reliability and criterion-related validity (i.e., by exploring their association with traditional psychosocial risks and well-being indicators). The new tools were administered on a sample of over 19,000 workers from a large Italian energy services company. Moreover, specific thresholds for each integrative tool were developed to quantify the levels of risk. Results: Our findings suggested the inclusion of both objective indicators and self-report tools. Among the firsts, we included the equipment provided by organizations to implement hybrid work, the realization of training courses on ICT, and the adoption of procedures to encourage coordination and to safeguard the workers "right to disconnect". Among the self-report tools, we included the workers' perceptions of work/life balance, technostress creators, acceptability of technological tools, social interaction, and isolation. Conclusions: The new tools were valid and reliable and could be used to assess the psychosocial risks associated with hybrid work. These will be included as integrative tools of the INAIL's Methodology for the Assessment and Management of Work-related Stress risk and will be made available to Italian organizations through an online platform for data processing. Along with that, guidance and examples of improvement actions will be provided for each area of risk identified in order to support organizations in correctly implementing hybrid work.