On the occasion of the Quality of Life and Working Conditions Week (QVCT), it is essential to remember that a company’s performance goes hand in hand with the well-being of its employees.
Closely linked to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments, QVCT has become a key strategic lever for organizations aiming to be more responsible, sustainable, and human-centered. According to Qualisocial and Ipsos, 1 in 4 employees report being in a state of poor mental health, which directly affects their engagement, productivity, and overall well-being at work. Organizations, therefore, have every reason to take this emerging issue seriously in order to protect their workforce.
What is QVCT?
Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QVCT) refers to all the actions aimed at improving both the conditions under which employees work, their ability to express themselves and act on their tasks, and the performance of the company. Officially introduced in 2022 by ANACT (the French National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions), QVCT replaces the former concept of QVT (Quality of Life at Work), emphasizing the real, tangible conditions of work rather than just the atmosphere or perceived experience.
What are the 6 dimensions of QVT?
According to ANACT, the six key dimensions of QVT, still relevant within the QVCT framework, are:
Work organization, content, and execution
→ Interest, autonomy, clarity of objectives, workload.
Occupational health and prevention
→ Risk prevention, work-life balance, stress management.
Skills and career development
→ Training, employability, growth opportunities.
Professional and social dialogue
→ Quality of communication, recognition, solidarity, internal communication.
Workplace equality
→ Non-discrimination, fairness, diversity, inclusion.
Corporate vision and management
→ Social utility, pride, alignment with personal values.
What does this mean?
For the approach to be truly effective, it must be grounded in real work—the work as it is actually done daily, beyond job descriptions or formal procedures. Practically, this means that when performing a QVCT assessment or developing an action plan, it’s crucial to consider:
Work as it is actually performed: real practices, actions, and adjustments employees make when facing unforeseen situations or dysfunctions. This is where the actual strain of the work becomes visible.
The conditions under which the work is carried out: including material and digital resources, deadlines, flexibility, time organization, work-life balance, employment terms, hierarchical and peer relationships, etc.
The effects of work, whether positive or negative: on individuals (motivation, mental health, stress, sense of purpose…), on the organization (service or production quality, efficiency, timelines, image…), and on the broader environment (ecological, social, territorial impacts).
Why shift from QVT to QVCT?
The evolution from QVT to QVCT represents a more pragmatic approach: it’s no longer just about improving how employees feel at work, but about actively working on the concrete conditions of how work is carried out, including both material and immaterial resources, meaning in work, etc. The goals are to:
Better prevent psychosocial risks
Strengthen collective efficiency
Align HR actions with transformational challenges (digital, environmental, etc.)
Reconcile performance with well-being in a sustainable way (especially via CSR strategies)
Enhance employer branding
Integrate CSR dynamics within the organization
What is the QVCT method? Definition, objectives, and areas of action
The QVCT method is based on shared diagnosis and collective action, structured around the following principles:
Quality of Life and Working Conditions is a participatory approach that aims to improve working conditions by engaging all stakeholders (management, employees, staff representatives, etc.).
Key Objectives:
Promote constructive social dialogue
Anticipate and support organizational changes
Reduce absenteeism, turnover, and sick leave
Attract and retain talent
Build a responsible employer brand
Areas of Action:
Work organization and management
Health and safety at work
Professional equality and inclusion
Skills development
Continuous improvement through HR and CSR tools
→ Read more: Qualisocial & Ipsos https://www.qualisocial.com/barometre-sante-mentale-qvct-qualisocial-ipsos/
CSR & QVCT: A Strategic Duo
QVCT is an operational pillar of CSR: it addresses the social requirements of sustainable development. A company that takes care of its employees is more resilient, more innovative, and better regarded by its stakeholders (clients, talent, partners…). By highlighting QVCT, companies show that they are not just trying to “do a good job,” but to “help people work well.”
QVCT is not a luxury or a trend, it is a matter of sustainable performance and social equity. In a world of work undergoing profound transformation, it serves as a compass for navigating with humanity, efficiency, and responsibility. The objective is to understand how the QVCT approach can be applied concretely: by starting from real-life experiences, it allows for the identification of sustainable improvement levers, driven by and for those who work.
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