Work

Safety without calm? Young workers` early job experiences and psychosocial risk in a comparative reading of Italy`s Legislative Decree 81/2008 and Japan

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BackgroundItaly's Legislative Decree 81/2008 includes work-related stress and organisational factors in its definition of prevention. For young workers in unstable jobs, the gap between legal principles and daily experience may be wide.ObjectiveTo compare how young workers in Italy and Japan perceive physical and mental safety, stress, and economic risk, and to ask what the patterns suggest about where prevention struggles.MethodsMixed-method dataset of 206 young workers (92 Italy, 114 Japan). Descriptive statistics and qualitative responses.ResultsPhysical safety is high in both countries (88.8%), but mental safety is lower (74.4%). Stress affects 64.6%, rising to 77.2% in Italy against 54.4% in Japan. Main stressors are ordinary: responsibility, pace, heavy hours. In Italy, half report high precariousness risk; in Japan, one sixth. Stress does not decline with experience.ConclusionsYoung workers often feel physically safe but carry heavy psychosocial loads. The Italian framework already targets these dimensions, but the gap between principle and practice remains. Different risk bundles-precariousness in Italy, time intensity in Japan-require prevention to look beyond physical hazards.

Source: Work

DOI: 10.1177/10519815261449251

Author: Davide Fassola

Institution: University of Bologna

Language: English

Topic: Workplace Health and Well-being

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7165174176