WHP Software Comparison

WHP Software Compared: What Features Does a Company Actually Need?

WHP software for companies without their own WHP department should support GBPsych (Sec. 5 ArbSchG), BEM deadlines (Sec. 167 SGB IX), and WHP documentation (Sec. 3 No. 34 EStG, tax allowance of up to €600/employee) in a structured way — so that HR can get started without an in-house WHP specialist. EasyWHP covers all three pillars; current prices are listed on easywhp.com. The professional assessment is done by specialists you bring in when needed.

WHP Software Criteria Compared

Criterion	What to look for	Common pitfall
GBPsych compliance	Reminders for follow-up cycles + complete documentation (Sec. 5 ArbSchG, German Occupational Safety Act)	Only a one-time survey with no deadline monitoring — the next cycle gets forgotten
BEM deadlines	Automatically detects when the six-week threshold of Sec. 167 is reached + invitation templates per Sec. 167 SGB IX	Manual spreadsheets that go stale or aren't updated when staff changes
WHP documentation	Records for the discussion with the statutory health insurer (Sec. 20b SGB V), structured filing per measure	Unstructured PDFs — hard for the health insurer to evaluate
Sec. 3 No. 34 EStG proof	Payroll records per person: certificate of attendance, plus the course certificate or proof that the measure was carried out in the workplace health promotion process	Records are missing — then your tax advisor cannot confirm the tax exemption
GDPR	Hosting in Germany or the EU, data processing agreement, ideally no US subprocessors	US tools with unclear data transfer — health data requires special protection
SME fit	Getting started without an in-house WHP specialist, guided onboarding	Complex enterprise systems that need a full-time HR position to administer
Price	Published transparently, no hidden per-head surcharges, with a monthly cancellable option	Hidden per-head pricing plus minimum contract terms plus setup fees obscure the real price

Which obligations should WHP software cover?

Note: This section refers to German law. The law obliges the employer, not the software. Three legal bases determine what WHP software should help employers of any size with — everything beyond that is optional.

Sec. 5 ArbSchG (German Occupational Safety Act) — GBPsych: All employers must assess psychological workplace strain — completely, with documentation, and reviewed at regular intervals (Sec. 3(1) ArbSchG; the law sets no fixed interval). Software that only supports one-time surveys and has no deadline monitoring does not help with this obligation. The risk assessment must be retrievable immediately during an occupational safety inspection. If an order of the authority is not implemented, a fine of up to €30,000 may follow (Sec. 25 ArbSchG).

Sec. 167 SGB IX (BEM, workplace reintegration management): If an employee is unable to work for more than six weeks within one year, continuously or repeatedly, the employer must actively initiate a BEM meeting — not wait for it. The software must automatically detect when this six-week threshold is reached, prepare the invitation, and document the response (accepted, declined, follow-up). Without an offered BEM, a later illness-related dismissal becomes much harder to justify: the employer must then also show that BEM would not have prevented future absences either (German Federal Labour Court, 20 Nov 2014 – 2 AZR 755/13).

Sec. 3 No. 34 EStG (German Income Tax Act, tax allowance): employer health benefits of up to €600 per employee per year can be exempt from payroll tax — a ceiling, not a subsidy. The payroll records need proof per person: a certificate of attendance, plus the course certificate or proof that the measure was carried out in the workplace health promotion process. WHP software should collect these records in a structured way; only your tax advisor can confirm the tax exemption.

WHP software and WHP consulting: how do they fit together?

Software does not replace consulting. It helps you get started yourself: launch surveys, keep track of BEM deadlines, document measures and records in one place. Starting this way takes you far enough into the topic to hold your own in a conversation with a consultant.

When a consultant joins — for example to assess the GBPsych results, support a BEM case, or facilitate the steering committee — they work with you on the same platform. They see the data and documents that already exist and don't have to start from scratch.

What software contributes is the rhythm: deadlines keep coming back. A GBPsych assessment done once 2.5 years ago has to be reviewed and updated. Software reminds you of follow-up cycles and keeps the current status on record — whether or not a consultant is involved.

How large the need is: according to #whatsnext 2025 (TK/IFBG employer survey), 75% of organizations have no holistic WHP program.

What to watch for with GDPR and data protection?

WHP data — especially GBPsych results and BEM records — constitutes health data under Art. 9 GDPR. It receives special protection: processing is only permitted with an explicit legal basis (Art. 9(2) GDPR) and requires technical and organizational safeguards under Art. 32 GDPR.

Hosting in Germany or the EU is the obvious standard for this category of data — it avoids the risks of transfers to third countries. The GDPR does not prohibit third countries outright, but then requires additional safeguards. With US providers (even those with EU subsidiaries), there is a further issue: US laws such as FISA Section 702 and the CLOUD Act may allow US authorities to access data stored by US companies worldwide. For health data, that risk is hard to justify.

Required document: a data processing agreement (DPA) under Art. 28 GDPR must be signed with every WHP software provider. Without a DPA, any processing by the provider is unlawful. Reputable providers supply the DPA as standard.

Practical tip: BEM records must be filed separately from the general personnel file and accessible only to a narrowly limited group of people (typically HR plus the direct supervisor, only with the employee's consent). Software that does not support document-level access restrictions is unsuitable for BEM documentation.

Related measures & topics

Key takeaways

Note: This refers to German law. WHP software should help you carry out GBPsych, BEM, and WHP documentation in a structured way — the professional assessment stays with specialists.
Deadlines keep coming back — software keeps the status on record, whether or not a consultant is involved.
GDPR for health data: a data processing agreement is mandatory; hosting in Germany or the EU is the obvious standard.
Software does not replace consulting: you get started yourself — when a consultant joins, they work with you on the same platform.
Decisive for SMEs: being able to start without an in-house WHP specialist.

Frequently asked questions

What does WHP software cost for 100 employees?+

Pricing models differ: flat by company size, per head, or by module. So compare the total price for your company size, including contract term and setup. Current EasyWHP prices — for all three pillars (occupational safety incl. GBPsych, BEM, WHP) and for the WHP tier alone, each on an annual contract or cancellable monthly — are listed on easywhp.com. Important: include internal effort (HR hours) — the license is only part of the calculation.

Do I need a WHP specialist if I use WHP software?+

No — good WHP software is designed to work without a WHP specialist. It guides you through GBPsych surveys, monitors BEM deadlines automatically, and generates management reports at the push of a button. HR or management operates the software without needing WHP certification. What no software replaces: deciding on concrete WHP measures and communicating with employees — that remains a leadership task.

Can WHP software replace the GBPsych assessment itself?+

No — and that wouldn't be a permissible claim either. The software supports the process: it launches the survey, evaluates results, documents everything traceably, and reminds you of follow-up cycles. The actual GBPsych — assessing psychological hazards in your specific work environment — requires the active involvement of managers and employees. Software structures the process but doesn't replace human judgment.

When does WHP software pay off compared to Excel?+

As soon as deadlines have to be tracked reliably — and that applies from the first BEM case. Excel has three fundamental weaknesses for WHP: (1) No automatic deadline monitoring — BEM triggers and GBPsych cycles are maintained manually and get lost when staff changes. (2) No tamper-proof record-keeping — Excel files can be edited after the fact, which becomes a problem during an occupational safety inspection or a wrongful-termination lawsuit. (3) No access protection — BEM data (health data under Art. 9 GDPR) in shared Excel files does not meet the protection requirements.

Tackle WHP with all three pillars in a structured way

EasyWHP guides you through GBPsych, BEM, and WHP documentation — without an in-house WHP specialist, hosted in Frankfurt (EU) with a data processing agreement (Art. 28 GDPR).

Try EasyWHP for free WHP compliance check

Sources

Last updated: 2026-06-27. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.

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