QVSCT: Quality of Life, Health and Working Conditions – challenges, agreements and mechanisms

QVSCT is gradually establishing itself as the reference framework for reconciling organizational performance and employee well-being. Between legal obligations, employee expectations and tensions in the job market, how can you structure an effective and measurable approach?

Key points

QVSCT (Quality of Life, Health and Working Conditions) provides an overall framework for preventing risks, improving well-being and supporting the sustainable performance of organizations.
This system is governed by multi-year collective agreements (e.g. 2026–2029) and applies to all sectors, both public and private.
QVSCT directly impacts employee retention, engagement, employability and HR attractiveness, particularly in a context of severe recruitment tensions looking ahead to 2027.
Eli, as an employee engagement SaaS platform, makes it possible to roll out, drive and measure QVSCT initiatives through targeted internal campaigns and real-time monitoring.

QVSCT: what are we actually talking about in 2026?

QVSCT brings together three essential dimensions: quality of life at work, occupational health (risk prevention, DUERP, psychosocial risks, musculoskeletal disorders) and working conditions (organization, tools, workplaces, schedules). This integrated approach recognizes that people’s well-being cannot be separated from their professional environment or from collective performance requirements.

This development follows on from QVT and then QVCT, with a gradual integration of these concepts into the French Labour Code and successive national interprofessional agreements (ANI). The ANI of 19 June 2013 laid the foundations by defining QVT as an approach that reconciles improved working conditions with overall performance. The ANI of 9 December 2020, followed by the law of 2 August 2021, then refocused the system on the real conditions under which work is carried out, giving rise to QVCT.

QVSCT is not limited to well-being: it includes collective performance, the quality of the service delivered and the long-term sustainability of organizations. As Nicolas Llorens points out in his work on engagement, taking these dimensions into account simultaneously is a differentiating factor for companies.

Concrete examples of implementation:

Flexible working hours with negotiated fixed and variable time slots
Structured remote work with a charter and managerial support
Prevention of psychosocial risks through regular interviews and listening mechanisms
Workstation ergonomics with audits and personalized adjustments
Managerial support and daily recognition through formalized practices

From QVCT to QVSCT: regulatory framework and collective agreements

Since 2023, many companies and associations have signed specific agreements on Quality of Life, Health and Working Conditions to structure their actions. These agreements reflect a desire to move beyond ad hoc initiatives and embed the approach over the long term.

Recent national interprofessional agreements (ANI) have strengthened prevention obligations: single risk assessment document, monitoring of psychosocial risks, mandatory periodic bargaining. These requirements apply to all organisations, regardless of size, with arrangements adapted to workforce levels.

Typical structure of a QVSCT agreement:

Duration: 4 years (e.g. 01/01/2026 to 31/12/2029)
Prevention areas: psychosocial risks, MSDs, mental workload
Listening mechanisms: barometers, interviews, listening unit
Monitoring indicators: absenteeism, turnover, workplace accidents
Social dialogue: monitoring committee, annual review
Signatories: management, trade union organisations

These agreements often represent the continuation of an already established QWL (quality of work life) policy, strengthening it in terms of occupational health and material working conditions. The Macif organisation, for example, has structured its approach around a multi-year agreement that includes primary prevention and workstation adjustments.

A platform such as Eli, a SaaS solution for employee engagement makes it easier to implement a QVSCT agreement in practical terms: distribution of legal information, consultation with teams, regular surveys, and long-term monitoring of implementation indicators. Publishing targeted content and measuring how it is read enables HR directors to effectively steer the rollout.

The public sector (central government, local authorities, hospitals, operators) adapts QVSCT to its own challenges: continuity of public service, budget constraints, and user expectations. The quality of the service delivered plays a central role.

In the civil service, QVSCT links employees’ quality of work life to the quality of the service delivered and to innovation in public policies. This approach recognises that employees who are healthy and engaged are a prerequisite for high-performing public services.

Concrete examples in the public sector:

Reorganisation of reception services in 2024–2026 with redefinition of roles and opening hours
Implementation of participatory approaches to rethink schedules
Pilot schemes for supervised remote working in central or local departments
Working groups on improving professional practices

Employees’ ability to express themselves and participate is a major lever: working groups, co-construction workshops, surveys, engagement barometers, idea submission platforms. These mechanisms make it possible to gather needs and expectations in response to changes in the working environment.

Management can use engagement tools such as Eli to launch targeted listening campaigns by department, track participation, and link the results to QVCT action plans. This structured change management approach facilitates team buy-in.

Ability to act on one’s work: a central lever of QVCT

One of the main determinants of quality of life at work lies in the possibility for each employee or civil servant to have real influence over their daily work, which is a central focus of tools to improve quality of life at work. This ability to act, documented by Anact and many human resources experts, is a protective factor against psychosocial risks.

What the ability to act concretely entails:

Possibility to propose improvements to one’s position or tasks
Leeway to prioritise certain tasks according to current constraints
Participation in decisions on how the team is organised
Room for manoeuvre regarding working methods and hours
Access to the information needed for day-to-day decision-making

This controlled autonomy strengthens engagement and accountability. A sense of usefulness, pride in a job well done, and better ownership of strategic objectives (e.g. 2024–2027 plans) all contribute to skills development and retention.

Examples of QVHSC initiatives related to empowerment:

Continuous improvement groups facilitated by employees themselves
Professional communities with practice sharing and peer-to-peer advice
Online ideation campaigns with voting on priorities
Co-design workshops for processes and tools

Eli supports this dynamic through quick-poll modules, digital suggestion boxes, priority voting, and automatic reporting to HR and managers. This attention to employee contributions strengthens the feeling of being a true stakeholder in change.

QVHSC, retention and attractiveness: a strategic HR challenge for 2025–2027

In a context of recruitment pressures, QVHSC is becoming a decisive lever for retention and attractiveness, particularly in shortage occupations (sales, IT, claims management, customer relations, care), complementing a clear and attractive Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Candidates now assess the quality of working conditions as much as pay.

QVHSC’s contribution to employee retention:

Better health at work with fewer sick leaves
Supported and visible career paths
Skills development in response to technological transformations (AI, automation)
Stronger sense of recognition and belonging
Personalized support for career paths

Example of a strategic HR plan integrating QVHSC:

Objective and target indicators

Among the key objectives of the QVHSC approach is reducing turnover, with a target decrease of 15% over 3 years. Improving eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) is also a goal, with an expected gain of 20 points. Participation in surveys should reach at least 75% of employees, ensuring a good level of collective engagement.

In terms of training, the objective is for 100% of managers to be trained in risk prevention. Regarding job accommodations, requests must be processed within 30 days, thus ensuring responsiveness that is suited to employees’ needs.

The link between QVCT, inclusion (disability, caregivers, seniors, diversity) and clearly defined company values is a major issue. Job accommodations, the adaptation of working methods and specific support schemes led by HR and QVCT managers help create an inclusive work environment that promotes everyone’s well-being.

Eli makes it possible to monitor these issues: engagement dashboards, segmentation by population (roles, sites, languages), before/after comparisons of a QVCT campaign or the signing of a collective agreement. This regular updating of indicators sheds light on strategic trade-offs.

Implementing QVCT on a daily basis: the role of HR, managers and digital tools

QVCT is not just an agreement or a document: it is a daily practice driven by HR, frontline managers and employee representatives. Its development is based on the involvement of all stakeholders within the organization.

Key roles in the QVCT approach:

HR: Steering the policy, monitoring indicators, social dialogue, negotiating agreements
Managers: Team leadership, first-level prevention, workload management, regular check-ins
CSE/Bodies: Raising alerts, making proposals, monitoring action plans, relaying employees’ concerns
Employees: Expressing needs, taking part in surveys, contributing to working groups

Typical annual QVCT engagement cycle:

Diagnosis: surveys, QVCT barometers, analysis of existing indicators
Co-construction: participatory workshops, definition of priority areas with the signatories
Rollout: awareness campaigns, training, prevention actions
Impact measurement: monitoring indicators, qualitative feedback, duration of implementation of the measures
Adjustments: annual review, adaptation of the action plan, sharing results to foster transparency

A SaaS tool like Eli structures this cycle: a QVSCT content library (articles, videos, quizzes, surveys), creation of themed campaigns (well-being, safety, inclusion), multichannel distribution (email, notifications, app), real-time reporting.

The importance of measurement cannot be overstated: internal communication indicators and KPIs such as participation rate, content reading time, quiz results, qualitative feedback, or the evolution of health and absenteeism indicators over several years. These data are the basis for continuous steering, allowing actions to be adjusted in real conditions.

For organizations wishing to structure their approach, an internship or work-study program in QHSE can also help strengthen in-house skills on these topics, particularly during one-off initiatives such as QWL Week 2026 and its awareness-raising activities. The desired profile generally combines technical skills with sensitivity to human issues.

Diagnosis: surveys, QVSCT barometers, analysis of existing indicators
Co-construction: participatory workshops, definition of priority areas with the signatories
Deployment: awareness campaigns, training, prevention actions
Impact measurement: monitoring of indicators, qualitative feedback, duration of implementation of the measures
Adjustments: annual review, adaptation of the action plan, sharing of results in the interest of transparency

QVSCT FAQ

How do you start a QVSCT initiative in a company with 50 to 500 employees?

The first step is to ensure regulatory compliance: updating the DUERP, identifying priority risks, and complying with prevention obligations. This legal foundation secures the approach and strengthens the credibility of the company’s commitment.

Next comes a shared diagnosis involving management, managers, and employee representatives. Targeted interviews and a digital survey help identify expectations and pain points. This phase of assessing the situation generally lasts 2 to 3 months.

On this basis, you can define priority areas (workload, remote work, prevention of psychosocial risks) and build a realistic action plan over 6 to 12 months. Eli makes it possible to organize consultations, centralize feedback, and monitor the implementation of actions from the very start of the process.

What is the difference between QVT, QVCT and QVSCT?

QVT mainly focused on well-being and social climate, sometimes tending toward cosmetic actions (gym memberships, social events) with no link to actual work. QVCT added an explicit focus on working conditions, refocusing actions on the organization, content, and work environment. QVSCT places even greater emphasis on occupational health and prevention, while maintaining an integrated approach to sustainable performance.

Beyond the acronyms, what matters most is the overall coherence of the actions taken. An effective policy links prevention, working conditions, and quality of life within a systemic approach driven by the entire organization.

How can you concretely measure the impact of a QVSCT agreement?

Quantitative indicators provide a first level of monitoring: changes in absenteeism, turnover, workplace accidents, and eNPS. These data make it possible to objectify progress and identify areas requiring attention. For example, a 10% reduction in absenteeism over 2 years indicates an improvement in working conditions.

Measurement must be regular (at least once a year, ideally quarterly) and accompanied by reporting accessible to management, HR, and employee representatives. The results of QVSCT surveys and participation in prevention initiatives complement this assessment. A solution like Eli centralizes these data in actionable dashboards.

Does QVSCT also apply to remote workers or employees across multiple sites?

QVSCT covers all employees, including those working remotely, in hybrid arrangements, or spread across multiple sites. These groups face specific challenges: isolation, home ergonomics, mental load, remote coordination, and connection with the team.

Targeted information, training and listening campaigns can be deployed via digital tools to adapt QVCT actions to these dispersed employees. Multichannel distribution and segmentation by site or working mode make it possible to personalise messages.

What role can employees themselves play in QVCT?

Shared responsibility is a fundamental principle of QVCT. Employees contribute by expressing their needs, reporting weak signals, taking part in surveys and workshops, contributing to working groups, and complying with safety and prevention rules.

By providing simple channels for expression (engagement platform, short surveys, suggestion boxes), organisations significantly increase the relevance and effectiveness of their QVCT actions. This culture of listening strengthens engagement and mutual trust throughout the organisation.