Psych Risk Assessment for SMEs

Does a small or mid-sized business (SME) have to conduct a risk assessment for psychological workload?

Note: this applies to German law. Yes — all employers must assess psychological workload (ArbSchG Sec. 5(3) No. 6, since 2013). SMEs can use simple methods: a short questionnaire such as the IMPULS test, an employee survey (often supported by the health insurer) or a facilitated workshop. There is no minimum company size.

Under German law, does the duty also apply to SMEs?

Yes — this applies to every employer under German law, from a 3-person craft business to a large corporation. Since the 2013 amendment to the German Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG), psychological workload has been explicitly enshrined as a mandatory part of the workplace risk assessment (Sec. 5(3) No. 6).

“Psychological workload” in the legal sense does not mean psychiatric diagnoses or personal problems. It refers to work-related factors: time pressure, interruptions, unclear responsibilities, lack of decision-making latitude, poor leadership. These factors are measurable and manageable.

The German state occupational safety authorities also check the psychological risk assessment during company inspections; it was a focus of the GDA work programme on mental health (2013–2018). If the assessment is missing or exists only on paper, the authority first orders it to be carried out. Anyone who does not comply with such an enforceable order risks a fine of up to 30,000 euros (ArbSchG Sec. 25). A filled-out form with no discernible data-collection method counts as incomplete.

What must be assessed?

Work intensity and volume: time pressure, overtime, multitasking, frequency of interruptions
Decision-making latitude: Can employees shape their own workflows, choose break times, set priorities?
Social relationships: leadership behavior, collegiality, frequency of conflict, social support
Work environment: noise, lighting, climate, home-office ergonomics
Work organization: shift work, on-call duty, unclear responsibilities
Information flow: Are employees adequately informed, do they have clear goals?

Which simple methods are there for SMEs?

Germany's Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) distinguishes three groups of methods — surveys, observation or observational interviews, and facilitated analysis workshops. For SMEs, these three routes are practical — and a psychological risk assessment doesn't have to be expensive:

A short questionnaire such as the IMPULS test from Austria (developed by Molnar and others, today available as IMPULS-Test|2 Professional) covers working conditions with 25 questions in about 10 minutes and compares the results with norm values. The current version is subject to a fee and runs online. For companies with 10–100 employees, a short questionnaire like this is a good starting point.

Many health insurers support an anonymized employee survey on psychological workload as part of their workplace health promotion — often including evaluation and suggested measures. Whether and on what terms is something to clarify with your insurer. The company physician or occupational safety specialist can facilitate the survey.

The workshop method works well for teams under 20 people: a facilitated 90-minute discussion identifies the three biggest workload factors directly. It is documented with a photo of the flipchart and minutes. Facilitated workshops are among the methods named by the BAuA; whether the implementation is sufficient in an individual case is for the authority to judge.

What happens after the assessment?

After the assessment, measures must be derived, implemented, and checked for effectiveness (ArbSchG Sec. 3(1) — the PDCA cycle). A psychological risk assessment is not a one-off document but a recurring process.

Typical measures from SME psychological risk assessment processes: documenting clearer task allocation, formalizing an overtime policy in writing, briefing managers on healthy leadership, and anchoring break times in team routines.

Recommended: an annual repeat (or after major changes such as restructuring or a change of location). The first assessment serves as a baseline — it doesn't need to be perfect, but it must be methodically traceable.

Related measures & topics

Key takeaways

Note: this applies to German law. The psychological risk assessment has been mandatory since 2013 — no exception for SMEs or office-based businesses.
Simple methods (short questionnaire, survey, facilitated workshop) are a good starting point for many SMEs.
Assessment ≠ psychiatric diagnosis — it's about working conditions, not personality.
After the assessment: derive measures, implement them, check their effectiveness (PDCA).
Annual repetition recommended — the first assessment serves as a baseline.

Frequently asked questions

Does the legal duty to conduct a psychological risk assessment also apply to purely office-based businesses with no physical hazards?+

Yes. Under German law, ArbSchG Sec. 5(3) No. 6 applies regardless of industry. Office work with high work intensity, constant availability, and little decision-making latitude can, in particular, create significant psychological workload. The authorities therefore check office-based businesses just the same.

What does a psychological risk assessment cost for an SME with 30 employees?+

With free routes (facilitated workshop, survey supported by the health insurer), the costs are mainly internal time for planning, execution and documentation; a short questionnaire such as the IMPULS-Test|2 involves licence fees. Many SMEs manage the first steps themselves; where evaluating the results or deriving measures gets difficult, external specialists (such as occupational psychologists or WHP consultants) add their experience. A company physician or safety specialist can lead the facilitation.

What happens if a labor inspectorate audits and the psychological risk assessment is missing?+

Under German law, the authority first orders that the deficiency be remedied, with a deadline. If the employer does not comply with this enforceable order, a fine of up to 30,000 euros can follow (ArbSchG Sec. 25). Persistent repeated violations, or endangering the life or health of employees in doing so, are a criminal offence (ArbSchG Sec. 26).

What belongs in a mental health concept for a company?+

The foundation is mandatory: the assessment of psychological workload under § 5(3) No. 6 ArbSchG (German law). It covers work-related factors such as time pressure, scope for decision-making and leadership — not diagnoses. From it, you derive measures, implement them and check their effect — for example a clearer allocation of tasks, a written overtime rule or a briefing for managers on healthy leadership. Stress management offers complement this but do not replace the assessment.

Build the psych risk assessment into a system

EasyWHP provides the questionnaires and guides you through the steps of the psychological risk assessment. Professionals take on the expert evaluation and the derivation of measures — we bring them in at the right moment.

Try EasyWHP

Sources

Last updated: 2026-06-24. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.

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