Held every October, EU Safety Week highlights key issues, best practices and innovations from workplaces all over Europe. This year in Ireland, the focus is on the right to disconnect, combating stress and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).

EU Safety Week provides opportunities for organisations to hold awareness-raising events, and this year hundreds of events are taking place across the EU to promote and protect workers’ safety and health. 

The theme for the 2025 Healthy Workplaces Campaign, organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), is ‘Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age’ and aims to raise awareness of the impact of digital technologies on work and workplaces.   

In recent years, digital technologies have transformed our society and our daily lives. For workers and employers in practically all workplaces and sectors, digital technology offers increased opportunities but also presents greater challenges and risks in terms of workplace safety and health. 

According to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) 40% of Irish workplaces use digital technologies to supervise and monitor the work and behaviour of their employees personally. 

If designed, implemented, managed and used in line with the human-centred approach, digital technologies have the potential to be useful for improving workers’ safety and health. They can help in automating repetitive tasks, reducing physical strain and improving ergonomics. Robotics and AI can also support employees in dangerous work environments.  

However, the benefits of digitalisation can only be enjoyed if the risks are properly managed, including fully consulting workers and trade unions on what is happening in the workplace in relation to use of digital technologies, as well as adopting a human-centred and human-in-command approach. The use of AI and digital technologies must also be properly regulated, in full consultation with social partners. 

ICTU has fully endorsed the call from the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) for strong EU directives in this area, including:

• A directive on remote work and the right to disconnect, to ensure new working practices are not detrimental to workers,
• A directive to combat stress at work, to deliver safe workplaces, free of violence and harassment, and  
• A directive dedicated to AI at work, which will uphold the ‘human in control’ principle. 

You can find out more about the campaign and related events taking place here.

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