Wirtschaftliche Effekte von Gesundheitsförderung und Arbeitssicherheitsprogrammen: Eine Analyse mit besonderem Fokus auf das Handelsgewerbe

Abstract

Managers need a reliable base to decide whether and when investments in workplace health and safety measures make economic sense. There is already a lot of evidence, but it often comes from very specific interventions and contexts. This means it cannot easily be transferred to other industries, company sizes, or starting situations. Indirect effects such as employee satisfaction, loyalty, or employer image can only be measured through longer chains of influence. This paper provides a compact framework for decision-making. It shows what the starting situation is, what data are needed, and how results can be interpreted. The paper is methodologically based on a literature review. First, the basic aspects of workplace health are explained in a systematic way. On this basis, workplace health management (WHM) is introduced as a management and control framework and clearly separated from workplace health promotion. The WHM process is described following the PDCA cycle, including roles and the link to existing occupational safety and quality structures. The basics of occupational safety are also presented. In the main economic part, direct and indirect financial effects are discussed separately, and two evaluation approaches used in the literature are explained without doing own calculations. The chapter on challenges brings together questions of investment and profitability, acceptance and change, as well as measurement problems with indirect effects and influences of time. Investments in workplace health measures can have a measurable positive impact on a company’s economic success. In short terms, effects can be seen above all in tangible measures such as lower absence costs, fewer disruptions and downtimes, lower quality costs, and more stable staff deployment. In the medium and long term, organizational and cultural improvements support productivity, process quality, employee retention, and employer attractiveness. These effects only become reliable if they are carefully translated into indicators and metrics, tracked over time, and then financially evaluated. Integrating the measures into a structured management system helps maximize their benefits. The exact size of the effects depends on the specific context. Results should therefore be presented as trends and ranges. Under these conditions, prevention becomes something that can be planned and managed, and it makes a clear contribution to business success

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Rudolf Peterbauer (Supervisor)