Mental health pressures in the workplace: requirements for employers

Mental health issues are part of occupational health and safety

Mental health issues in the workplace are neither a marginal issue nor a purely individual problem affecting individual employees. They often arise from the way in which work is organised, allocated, communicated and managed. Current absence statistics also demonstrate that this is a relevant issue for businesses as a whole: according to the DAK Psychreport 2025, mental health conditions accounted for 342 days of absence per 100 employees in 2024. Among the approximately 15 million working AOK members , 12.5 per cent of all absences in the same year were due to mental health conditions; according to the AOK, such absences lasted an average of 28.5 days per case.

Typical stress factors in the office include, for example, high time pressure, frequent interruptions, unclear responsibilities, conflicting demands, a lack of support or a consistently high workload. This makes it clear that mental stress is not only an individual health issue, but also a key factor in work capacity, productivity and workplace prevention.

It is important to note that psychological stress should initially be viewed in a neutral light. Not every challenge automatically poses a risk to health. Demanding tasks, responsibility or periods of intense concentration can also have a motivating effect. The situation becomes critical when stress is consistently too intense, difficult to manage, or not sufficiently offset by resources such as scope for action, social support and rest. For this reason, psychological stress must be taken into account in occupational health and safety just as much as physical, technical or chemical hazards – a point also emphasised by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

What does DGUV Rule 115-401 mean for office workstations?

DGUV Rule 115-401 is aimed at organisations with office and computer workstations. According to the DGUV, office workstations have long since ceased to be confined to traditional administrative organisations; they are now found in almost all sectors, with around half of all employees working in an office.

For employers, the regulation is particularly relevant because it offers practical guidance on implementing health and safety measures. It makes it clear that good office work is not achieved solely through the right equipment, but also through suitable working conditions. These include, amongst other things, effective work organisation, clear processes, appropriate information flows and leadership that promotes good health.

What are employers’ obligations?

Taking psychological stress into account is not an optional extra for employers. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to assess risks to the health and safety of their employees. Since 2013, psychological stress has been explicitly identified as part of the risk assessment.

This means that companies must assess whether, and in what form, psychological stress factors arise at work. This is not about psychologically evaluating individual employees or making personal diagnoses. The focus is on working conditions.

Typical questions as part of the risk assessment might include:

• Are tasks, roles and responsibilities clearly defined?

• Is the workload manageable in the long term?

• Are there sufficient breaks and opportunities for rest?

• Are employees frequently interrupted?

• Are digital tools helpful or do they tend to be additional sources of stress?

• Does communication between managers, teams and departments work well?

• Do employees receive sufficient support with difficult tasks?

Appropriate measures must be derived from the results, implemented and assessed for their effectiveness. This is precisely where a key responsibility for organisations lies: mental health issues must not merely be identified, but actively addressed.

Why mental stress in the workplace can be on the rise

Modern office work is often characterised by a high volume of information, multiple tasks running simultaneously and the need to be constantly available. Video conferences, chat messages, emails, project tools and hybrid collaboration make many things easier – but can also lead to constant interruptions and mental overload.

Added to this are new ways of working, such as working from home or remote working. These offer flexibility, but also place new demands on self-organisation, leadership and team communication. When the boundaries between work and leisure become blurred, it can be harder to relax. When informal coordination is lacking, misunderstandings can arise more quickly. And if remote leadership is not actively managed, employees may feel left to their own devices.

DGUV Rule 115-401 addresses these developments by not viewing office work in isolation as a workplace issue, but by taking the organisation of work more fully into account. For companies, this presents an opportunity to adopt a more modern and holistic approach to health and safety at work.

E-learning as a key component of prevention

Digital training courses can help organisations systematically address mental health issues in the workplace. They foster a shared understanding, raise awareness of typical stress factors and provide practical strategies for day-to-day working life.

As part of a prevention strategy, e-learning courses can help employees to better understand the mechanisms of stress, recognise their personal stress thresholds and learn relaxation and self-regulation techniques. In this way, digital training courses usefully complement organisational measures and make prevention easily accessible in day-to-day working life.

Prevention starts with the way work is organised

Effective prevention does not begin only once employees are already overburdened. Employers should identify mental health issues at an early stage and organise working conditions in such a way as to reduce stress risks and bolster resources.

This includes, for example, clear priorities, realistic time management, transparent communication and a management culture in which stress can be openly discussed. Regular team meetings, defined rest periods, periods of work with minimal disruption and clear rules for digital communication can also help. Managers play a key role in this: they influence how work is allocated, how expectations are communicated and how stress is identified within the team.

Another key element is staff training. Employees can learn to recognise the warning signs of stress more effectively, strengthen their personal resources and integrate relaxation techniques into their daily lives. This does not replace the employer’s duty to ensure good work organisation, but it does complement it effectively.

Conclusion: Mental health must be at the heart of modern office working

DGUV Rule 115-401 makes it clear that healthy office working involves more than just ergonomic furniture and technical equipment. Psychological stress in the office is a key aspect of health and safety at work and must be taken into account in the risk assessment.

For employers, this means they should regularly review working conditions, take stress seriously and develop appropriate measures. Those who proactively promote mental health not only meet legal requirements but also invest in their employees’ motivation, performance and long-term retention.

Particularly in a working world characterised by digitalisation, hybrid teams and rapid change, a holistic approach to health and safety is becoming increasingly important. Companies that actively tackle psychological stress lay the foundations for healthy, productive and sustainable office work.