What Are Psychosocial Risks at Work?
According to DIN EN ISO 10075-1, psychological stress is defined as "the totality of all assessable influences which come from outside and affect the individual psychologically". Crucially, psychological stress is value-neutral – it describes influences, not their consequences.
The key distinction: Psychological stress refers to external influences (e.g. time pressure, noise, conflicts), while psychological strain is the individual response to those influences (e.g. fatigue, anxiety). Risk assessments evaluate the stressors, not personal reactions.
Most Common Causes
The GDA guidelines define six design areas where psychosocial risks can occur:
- Work content: Time pressure, monotony, emotional demands, excessive responsibility
- Work organization: Frequent interruptions, unclear responsibilities, conflicting demands
- Working hours: Shift work, overtime, permanent availability, unpredictable schedules
- Social relations: Poor leadership, conflicts, social isolation, bullying
- Work equipment: poor software and tools, missing training on new systems, badly designed equipment
- Work environment: for tasks requiring high concentration (activity category I) a rating level of 55 dB(A) must not be exceeded (ASR A3.7). That is a permitted ceiling, not a threshold at which cognitive impairment starts. Also lighting, indoor climate and space.
Remote work, constant availability and frequently changing project demands are not a separate area in the GDA guideline. They surface within the six areas, above all in working hours, work organisation and social relations.
Consequences of Unaddressed Risks
Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99) accounted for 147.3m sick days in 2024, that is 16.7% of all sick days in Germany (BAuA, economic cost of sickness absence 2024, reference: all employees). The BKK Health Report 2024 reports 16.7% of sick days at only 5.1% of all cases for employed BKK members in data year 2023. The matching value is a coincidence of two different populations and data years and must not be read as mutual confirmation. For 2024 BAuA puts the resulting production loss at EUR 22.5bn and the loss of gross value added at EUR 38.0bn. The two figures must not be added.
At company level: increased absenteeism and turnover, declining productivity and quality, difficulties recruiting talent, and legal exposure under ArbSchG.
Legal Obligations
§5 para. 3 no. 6 ArbSchG requires all employers to systematically identify and assess psychosocial risks as part of the risk assessment process. If the risk assessment is missing, the supervisory authority orders remediation under § 22 (3) ArbSchG. Only a breach of that enforceable order carries a fine of up to 30,000 EUR (§ 25 (1) no. 2 (a) in conjunction with § 25 (2) ArbSchG); in the other cases the ceiling is 5,000 EUR.
Prevention Measures
Structural measures (changing working conditions) are more effective and sustainable: task rotation, clear responsibilities, flexible working hours, leadership training, and clear communication channels.
Behavioral measures (strengthening individuals) include stress management training, relaxation programs, and coaching. These should complement – not replace – structural changes.
