Resilience is not a personality trait you either have or don't – it's a skill you can develop. That's the most important message for every employee who believes stress is just something they have to live with.
What do 6 to 8 weeks of training change?
A structured resilience training program doesn't focus on avoiding stress, but on processing it: How do I recognize warning signs in myself? What are my personal exhaustion triggers? Which strategies help me bounce back faster – after a difficult day, after a failed project, after a conflict? These skills can be learned. Reviews show positive effects of workplace resilience training on mental health and well-being (Robertson et al., Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 2015).
Which format delivers the best results?
Blended learning – a combination of short online modules and regular live group sessions – outperforms pure self-study courses, because they lack the social anchor. Discovering in the course that colleagues face similar pressures is relieving in itself. This normalization is a core effect of the group format that no app can replicate. Offers like this strengthen the individual. Where strain arises in the workplace itself only becomes visible through the psychosocial risk assessment – in Germany a legal duty for every employer.
How do you put the measure in place?
- 1Select a certified resilience trainer or psychologist with WHP experience and obtain two or three quotes.
- 2Define the eight topic blocks together with the trainer (e.g. dealing with change, stopping rumination, setting boundaries, self-care).
- 3Reserve a quiet room for the weekly series and limit the group to 8–12 participants for real exchange.
- 4Clarify with management whether participation takes place during working time, and record this in a binding way.
- 5Send a personal invitation with the eight dates, the aim of the series and the note “confidential space, no performance assessment”.
- 6Ask for a binding sign-up for the whole series, because the blocks build on each other.
- 7Communicate clearly that what is said stays in the room, to allow openness.
- 8Before every session, take care of the room, drinks and an undisturbed atmosphere (phone diversion, “Please do not disturb” sign).
- 9Encourage participants to try out the small exercises in everyday life between sessions.
- 10Keep an eye on the attendance rate and approach people who often miss sessions in an appreciative way.
- 11Collect anonymous feedback on benefit, trainer and transfer into everyday work.
- 12Discuss with the trainer which topics worked particularly well and whether a refresher makes sense.
- 13Assess whether a second round starts for further teams, and document the results for WHP steering.
What do you need for it?
- Effort
- multi-day
- Cost
- with budget
- Setup
- 960 min
- ✓ Profound impact
- ✓ Sustainable
- ✓ For all levels
Tax and health insurance: what is possible
Employer health benefits can be tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — if they are provided in addition to the salary already owed and are either certified (§ 20 SGB V) or implemented within the company's health promotion process. Gym memberships and corporate fitness are not covered. For ZPP-certified courses (e.g. from Upfit), German statutory health insurers can reimburse all or part of the course fee to their insured members — then only the amount exceeding that reimbursement is tax-free. Projects within the company can be funded under § 20b SGB V, with no entitlement. Only your tax adviser can confirm the tax exemption.
How it works in EasyWHP
This Best Practice in EasyWHP: adopt it, adapt it, measure the effect
Once adopted, the measure is ready in EasyWHP — with instructions, an invitation and surveys before and after. You adapt what fits your company and see at the end what it achieved.
Screenshots with demo data, no real people.
Adopt it for your company
Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.
Try EasyWHP for freeRather take a look first? To the live demo →
Contributes to
Measure the impact with
Action field
Stress & Mental Health →A fitting occasion
- Resilience Workshop: The 7 Pillars of Psychological Resilience
Related Best Practices
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