Female and male employees do not have the same working conditions. Their exposure to occupational risks differs according to whether the occupations are mixed, feminised or masculinised, as well as within the occupations themselves.

Men are more exposed to physical strain. They are more often in the most physical occupations, and they are also more exposed to physical strain than women in similar occupations. Women suffer more psychosocial risks. They are more often in service jobs, exposing them to work organisation constraints, emotional demands and low decision latitude. Furthermore, in mixed occupations, in feminised service occupations and in masculinised blue-collar occupations, where the working conditions are the most painful, women are more exposed than men to all risks (intense work, value conflicts, job instability, lack of autonomy and recognition, etc.) with the exception of physical strain.
These differences raise questions about the role of gender norms in the risks that women and men face in their work, including their awareness.