Waters, S, Karanikolos, M and McKee, M (2016) When work kills. Journal of Public Mental Health, 15 (4). pp. 229-234. ISSN 1746-5729
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the rising public health phenomenon of workplace suicide drawing on comparative insights from the French and UK contexts. France has experienced what the media describes as a “suicide epidemic” in the workplace, with rising numbers of employees choosing to kill themselves in the face of extreme pressures at work. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a comparative approach drawing on insights from the French context, in which workplace suicide is legally and officially recognised, to shed critical light on the UK context where workplace suicide remains a hidden phenomenon. Findings Whilst in France, workplace suicide is treated as an urgent public health phenomenon and data on suicides are collected centrally, in the UK, despite a deterioration in working conditions, suicide is not recognised in legislation and data are not collected centrally. Unless society recognises and document rising workplace suicides, we will be unable to deal with their profound human consequences for suicidal individuals, their families and society more widely. Research limitations/implications Research on workplace suicides in the UK and many other national contexts is hampered by fragmentary statistical data on this phenomenon. Practical implications The paper calls for greater recognition, analysis and monitoring of workplace suicide in the UK. Suicide should be included in the list of workplace accidents that are reported to the authorities for further investigation. In a context where workplace conditions are deteriorating, society need to recognises the profound human costs of these conditions for the individual employee. Social implications The paper has important implications for the contemporary workplace in terms of the contractual relationship between employer and employee. Originality/value Workplace suicide is an urgent, yet under-researched phenomenon. The paper brings a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective to bear on this phenomenon.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2016, Emerald . This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journal of Public Mental Health . Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | France, Neoliberalism, Workplace suicide |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Languages Cultures & Societies (Leeds) > French (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Wellcome Trust 110436/Z/15/Z |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Dec 2016 13:14 |
Last Modified: | 17 Oct 2017 17:24 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-06-2016-0026 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/JPMH-06-2016-0026 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:109528 |