Consensus is growing that business performance can be increased by improving employees’ quality of work life (QWL) through granting them greater autonomy in their work (Bourdu, Péretié and Richer, 2016a). However, this management assumption still lacks statistical proof.

Psychosocial risks, work-related stress, occupational health, quality of working life (QWL), wellbeing and happiness at work. Studies of life at work employ a strikingly wide range of terms (covering a variety of visions), whether in companies, during social negotiations, in public and media debates, even in the academic sphere.

The precautionary principle is sometimes accused of creating an obstacle to innovation development, or even industrial activity. It is not so much its legal application that can pose problems for companies, as the erroneous invocation of the principle by groups opposed to technologies, new or otherwise, and its inappropriate application.

Regulation and standardization are determining factors for the competitiveness of companies and countries and they are based on different systems. We make a distinction between these two themes, without opposing them.