12th International Conference "Work, Stress and Health 2017: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities"

The 12th International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health, "Work, Stress and Health 2017: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities," will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota, June 7-10, 2017, with preconference workshops and opening events on June 7. This conference is convened by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

Scope

The Work, Stress and Health Conference series addresses the ever-changing nature of work and the implications of these changes for the health, safety and well-being of workers. The conference covers numerous topics of interest to labor, management, practitioners and researchers. Expert presentations and informal meetings with leading scientists and practitioners provide an exciting forum for learning about the latest developments in occupational health psychology.

Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities

The 2017 conference will give special attention to contemporary workplace challenges that present new research and intervention opportunities. Work continues to change at a rapid pace. Workplaces and their employees face a host of new challenges. Some examples of contemporary challenges and opportunities of special interest include but are certainly not limited to:

• Dynamic employment patterns: Labor supply through crowdsourcing and a global “human cloud” of candidates; part-time, contingent, freelance (traditional and online), on-call, and contract work; multiple jobs; uncertainty in career pathways.
• Technology: Remote working capabilities; workplace monitoring; scheduling software; mobile computing; the expanding range and capacity of computing and robots (e.g., driverless technology).
• International emergencies/disasters: Worldwide mobilization in the wake of disasters; protecting international aid workers.
• Extreme violence and work: Preparing for, coping with, and rebuilding after terror threats and workplace violence events.
• Leave policies: Paid leave; flexibility; family-supportive work settings.
• Supportive work: Work settings that promote work–life balance, provide opportunities for career development, and foster a positive culture of health where safety and employee well-being — both on and off the job — are prioritized, valued and promoted.
• Changing workforce: Challenges and opportunities afforded by a diverse workforce in terms of gender, age and ethnicity; healthy aging.
• Comprehensive or integrated interventions: Approaches that reach across boundaries, within and/or outside organizations, to address worker safety and health issues in a multipronged, interdisciplinary way.

Symposia, Interactive Panels, Posters and Paper Presentations

We are especially eager to receive proposals for symposia, interactive panels, posters and papers that address these kinds of topics or other new challenges or opportunities not specifically mentioned here but of concern to conference attendees.