When examined over the long term—by comparison, for example, with the situation at the height of the Industrial Revolution— working conditions in France appear to have improved significantly over time (reduced working hours, a rest day on Sundays, paid leave, recognition of the difficulty and dangers of certain occupations etc.). These advances, combined with broader public health prevention measures, have significantly increased life expectancy. They do, however, mask significant disparities between sectors, occupations, types of worker etc. Furthermore, the 2019-2020 Covid crisis, the spread of information technologies, and pressure on personal support services, among other factors, have highlighted or thrown up new issues around the impact of working conditions on the health of the working population (musculo-skeletal disorders, psycho-social risks etc.).
While some risks have diminished over time, other pathologies and stress factors have emerged, and, as Michel Héry notes in this article, work now kills far more people in France than cars. How have physical constraints and exposure to occupational hazards evolved, as well as the relationship to stress and management? What impact might the spread of digital technology and automation (with other corollaries, such as teleworking and the gig economy) have on health, workplace accidents, and mortality? These are some of the questions explored in this article, using a series of indicators spanning several decades—an analysis prompting careful consideration of all the social costs likely to result from the current or future transformation of certain work processes.
The article is downloadable only in French. It is not available in English.
