Fulfilment at Work

For a long time, the word for work in French ‘travail’ remained linked to its Latin origins: «Tripalium» and therefore to ideas of torture, suffering and constraints.
Today, work, a factor of production, goes hand-in-hand with an essentially human dimension. Work should not be defined as a place of suffering, but must strive to become a source of fulfilment and accomplishment for workers. So how can we prevent these psycho-social risks? Pushed by a growing demand for recognition by their employees, many companies have begun thinking about well-being at work. Collective spaces are redesigned to improve their comfort and pyramidal management structures are being gradually flattened to favour less hierarchical relations. Management methods are redesigned to allow greater involvement by employees both at the level of defining objectives and worker participation. Finally, working time is readjusted to restore a better work/life balance. Are these measures enough to give new meaning to work? Do they not hide a deeper malaise?