Effective WHP measures (evidence)

Which workplace health promotion (WHP) measures have a proven effect on employees’ health and motivation?

Physical activity programmes, stress management and measures on nutrition and weight are well studied — particularly effective when offers address several health problem areas (vdek on iga.Report 40). According to the iga.Report, structured WHP pays off on average at around 1:2.7. ZPP-certified courses (§ 20 SGB V, German law) are quality-checked by an external body. Your own measures within the workplace health promotion process do not need certification.

What the evidence on WHP measures shows

Measure	Finding	Funding route
Physical activity programmes (back, endurance)	Small to moderate effects; there are indications that physical activity programmes reduce sickness-related days of absence (iga.Report 40).	ZPP courses: course reimbursement to insured persons (§ 20 SGB V, German law)
Nutrition and weight	Combined measures have been shown to prevent weight gain (iga.Report 40).	ZPP courses: course reimbursement to insured persons (§ 20 SGB V)
Stress management	Numerous well-tested approaches; for work-related stress, there are indications that in-person offers work better than technology-based ones (iga.Report 40).	ZPP courses: course reimbursement to insured persons (§ 20 SGB V)
Leadership training	Positive effects on mental health at work (iga.Report 40).	Part of the workplace health promotion process
Combined offers	Particularly effective when they address several health problem areas (vdek on iga.Report 40).	Project funding by the health insurer possible (§ 20b SGB V, no entitlement)

Which measures are well studied?

iga.Report 40 summarises 100 systematic reviews from 2012 to 2018. Physical activity programmes, stress management and measures on nutrition and weight are well studied. For physical activity programmes, there are indications of fewer sickness-related days of absence, mostly with small to moderate effects. For preventing stress and mental disorders, there are numerous well-tested approaches. And vdek sums up: offers that address several health problem areas at once are particularly effective.

It also pays off economically: according to the iga.Report, structured WHP pays off at around 1:2.7 — on average, every euro invested is matched by savings of €2.70. This shows the effect in general, not the result of an individual company.

Physical activity programmes: indications of fewer sickness-related days of absence (iga.Report 40)
Combined measures on nutrition and physical activity: prevent weight gain (iga.Report 40)
Stress management: for work-related stress, indications that in-person offers work better than technology-based ones, which are abandoned more often (iga.Report 40)
Offers across several problem areas: particularly effective (vdek on iga.Report 40)

Which measures increase motivation and retention?

Absence is a lagging indicator. Motivation and retention respond earlier: employees who see that the company actively invests in their health perceive this as a signal of care.

The effect often depends less on the type of individual measure than on this signal: employees who see that the company listens and acts feel more connected — regardless of whether the measure is yoga, back training or a fruit basket initiative.

Surveys with visible consequences: employees see that their feedback makes a difference
Company health day: short-term motivation effect, no long-term effect without follow-up measures
For lasting retention: continuous measures instead of one-off events
Managers as multipliers: leadership training shows positive effects (iga.Report 40)

Which simple measures cost little?

Short, regular movement breaks, for example, cost nothing — not every useful measure is expensive. They interrupt long periods of sitting at screen work. Alternating between sitting and standing also helps: according to iga.Report 40, measures that change sitting behaviour, such as height-adjustable sit-stand desks, have the potential to reduce sitting time and prevent complaints.

Other simple approaches: active lunch breaks and walking meetings, drinking water at the workplace and a contact person from the team who picks up health topics. The WHO model “Healthy workplaces: a model for action” (2010) provides a framework for such approaches.

Movement breaks during screen work: interrupt long periods of sitting — free of charge and can be put in place right away
Walking meetings: in an experiment at Stanford University, walking increased creativity in an idea-generation test for 81% of participants (Oppezzo & Schwartz 2014)
Alternating sitting and standing: height-adjustable desks can reduce sitting time (iga.Report 40)
Health guides: a contact person from the team lowers the threshold

How do you measure the effect of your WHP measures?

Measurable WHP impact needs baseline values before the start and fixed key figures: sickness absence (absence rate), participation rate per measure, employee satisfaction (short survey) and an overview of which fields of action are covered.

For management, what matters most is the absence rate compared with the national average, the cost per day of absence and the return. The reference is the official statutory health insurance statistic KM1 of the German Federal Ministry of Health: in 2025, the sickness absence rate averaged 5.66% across the twelve monthly values (German figures). For the return, the study value is 1:2.7 — according to the iga.Report on average, with structured implementation. This shows the effect of structured WHP in general; the proof for your company comes from your own measurement.

These figures come together in EasyWHP, which offers the free WHPCompass: sickness absence compared with the national average for the same months, participation per measure, survey results and the WHP score over the months. The tool calculates the ROI from your measured figures, not from a forecast. How EasyWHP works in health promotion →

Related measures & topics

Key takeaways

Well studied: physical activity programmes, stress management, nutrition and weight — particularly effective when offers address several problem areas (vdek on iga.Report 40).
According to the iga.Report, structured WHP pays off on average at around 1:2.7.
Motivation responds earlier than absence: visible consequences from surveys are a strong signal of care.
Simple measures (movement breaks, health guides) cost little and can be started right away.
ZPP-certified courses (§ 20 SGB V, German law) are quality-checked by an external body. Your own measures within the workplace health promotion process do not need certification.

Frequently asked questions

Are there studies that prove workplace health promotion (WHP) really works?+

Yes. iga.Report 40 (2019) summarises 100 systematic reviews from 2012 to 2018 and paints an overall positive picture of work-related health promotion — for example indications of fewer days of absence through physical activity programmes. For the return, according to the iga.Report, the figure is 1:2.7 on average with structured implementation. The WHO model “Healthy workplaces: a model for action” (2010) describes a framework. All sources are on the WHPCompass studies page.

What is most likely to strengthen motivation?+

From the experience of many companies: employee surveys followed by visible follow-up measures. The signal “We listen and act” often has a stronger effect than the type of specific measure.

How quickly does WHP show a measurable effect?+

First soft indicators (satisfaction, participation, perceived care) often appear after a few weeks. Lower absence usually only shows after several months — depending on the starting situation and the measures chosen.

Which measures are suitable for small companies without workplace health promotion (WHP) experience?+

An entry point with little effort: 1. a ZPP-certified back-care or stress management course (German statutory health insurers can fully or partly reimburse the course fee to their members, § 20 SGB V, German law), 2. introduce movement breaks (free of charge), 3. a short employee survey (a few minutes, shows where action is needed). These three steps cost little and can be started right away.

Which measures work in your company?

In around 7 minutes, the WHP Maturity Check shows which fields of action offer you the biggest lever — and for which ZPP-certified measures the German statutory health insurer can fully or partly reimburse your employees.

Check your WHP maturity for free View all measures

Sources

Last updated: 2026-10-16. Not legal or tax advice — have your specific case reviewed by a professional.

Measuring WHP ImpactIs WHP really worth it — and how do I measure it?Affordable WHP for SMBsWhat can I do to make my employees healthier without a big budget?ROI: Is WHP Worth It?Does workplace health management (WHP) pay off for small and medium-sized companies?Reduce sickness absenceHigh sickness absence in your company — what actually helps?