WHP Stakeholders
Who are the WHP stakeholders in a company — and who does what?
WHP relies on internal stakeholders (management, HR, works council, safety officers) and external partners (occupational physician, safety specialist, health insurance fund, accident insurance fund) — each with a clearly defined role.
WHP Stakeholders and Their Core Roles
| Stakeholder | Type | Core Role |
|---|---|---|
| Management | internal | Budget, strategic direction, leading by example |
| HR/Personnel management | internal | Operational WHP, coordinating measures |
| Works council | internal | Co-determination under § 87 BetrVG, employee perspective |
| Safety officers | internal | Occupational safety in daily operations (mandatory from 50 employees; with 21–49 only if there is a particular hazard) |
| Occupational physician / safety specialist | external | Occupational medicine or technical occupational safety |
| Health insurance fund | external | WHP funding under § 20b SGB V (project funding, no entitlement), consulting |
| Accident insurance fund (Berufsgenossenschaft) | external | Prevention, free training, accident insurance |
Which internal stakeholders carry responsibility in WHP?
Management decides on the budget and strategic direction of WHP — without visible commitment from the top, WHP usually remains a one-off measure rather than a system. In practice, HR or personnel management typically handles operational coordination: planning measures, tracking deadlines, and communicating with external partners.
Under § 87 BetrVG (German Works Constitution Act), the works council has co-determination rights on health protection matters — involving them early prevents later roadblocks and brings the employee perspective into the process in a structured way. Safety officers (mandatory from regularly 50 employees; with more than 20 and fewer than 50 only if the risk assessment shows a particular hazard to life and health — § 22(1) SGB VII, German law, specified in DGUV Regulation 1 § 20) are the point of contact for occupational safety in day-to-day operations — they are not safety specialists, but colleagues with an additional responsibility.
Which external partners support WHP?
The occupational physician and the occupational safety specialist are legally mandated external (or internal) partners with clearly separated responsibilities: occupational medicine on one side, technical and organizational occupational safety on the other.
Under § 20b SGB V (German Social Code Book V), health insurance funds have a statutory mandate to support workplace health promotion (WHP) — through consulting, project funding, and sometimes free offerings. The company has no entitlement to funding. Accident insurance funds (Berufsgenossenschaften) are the carriers of statutory accident insurance; they provide free training (first responders, safety officers) and prevention consulting, financed by employer contributions.
Key takeaways
- Note: the legal references in this article (BetrVG, SGB V, DGUV) refer to German law. WHP only works through the interplay of internal and external stakeholders.
- Safety officers are mandatory from regularly 50 employees, with 21–49 only if there is a particular hazard (§ 22(1) SGB VII, DGUV Regulation 1 § 20).
- The works council has co-determination rights under § 87 BetrVG on health protection matters.
- Health insurance funds have a statutory WHP mandate, accident insurance funds offer free prevention services — the company has no entitlement to funding.
- HR handles operational coordination in most SMEs.
Frequently asked questions
Do we absolutely need an external WHP consultant?+
No. Many SMEs start internally through HR, supported by software. If a consultant joins — for example when building a systematic program or preparing funding applications — they work with you on the same basis, and you can discuss the subject matter on an equal footing.
Who typically coordinates WHP in companies without their own workplace health department?+
In most SMEs, HR handles operational coordination, often as a partial responsibility alongside other duties. A dedicated WHP coordinator role typically only appears once a company reaches a certain size.
Does the works council have to approve every WHP measure?+
Under German law: not for every measure. A voluntary individual measure (e.g., a fruit basket) usually does not trigger co-determination on its own. The co-determination right under § 87 BetrVG applies when rules on health protection (para. 1 no. 7), technical systems for monitoring performance or behavior (no. 6), or working time (no. 2) are affected — for example risk assessments or working-time models. Voluntary measures can also be governed by a voluntary works agreement (§ 88 BetrVG).
Coordinate All WHP Stakeholders in One Place
EasyWHP brings together tasks, deadlines, and communication with internal and external partners.
Sources
- § 87 BetrVG — Co-Determination Rights ↗
- § 20b SGB V — Workplace Health Promotion ↗
- § 22 SGB VII — Safety officers ↗
Last updated: 2026-07-06. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.