Psychosocial risk assessment: Germany and Austria

In Germany, §5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) includes psychological demands at work in risk assessment. Austria’s employee protection framework requires evaluation of work-related psychosocial risks. Consult the responsible authorities and qualified specialists for your workplace.

The subject is working conditions, not an assessment of an individual’s mental health. Relevant factors can include workloads, unclear responsibilities, work organization and expectations about availability.

Employer responsibilities apply to small workplaces too. The appropriate process depends on the structure, roles and existing arrangements. Involve employee representation and the required occupational health and safety expertise.

FIT-UP does not conduct or replace a statutory risk assessment. It can support selected wellbeing activities alongside required organizational actions. The modular platform includes mental wellbeing content, movement activities, challenges and communication.

Aggregated participation data can be one source for checking whether voluntary activities are being used. It does not assess psychosocial risks, diagnose employees or prove that required measures are effective.

The employer and qualified specialists remain responsible for the assessment method, documentation, professional evaluation and necessary changes to working conditions.