BGM budget: How to plan practice concepts without overstretching yourself

Healthy employees cost money - sick employees cost a fortune. That's why every company, whether a start-up or a medium-sized enterprise, needs a well thought-out BGM budget. Corporate health management without fixed resources is like a journey without petrol: you may be heading in the right direction, but you won't make any progress. This is precisely why we recommend BGM expert Oliver Walle In his highly acclaimed presentation at Expert Panel 6, he called for the topic of "budget" to be placed at the very beginning of any health strategy. After all, measures can only be planned, targets set and successes proven if the financing is clarified - for HR teams as well as for the management board and works council.

We took the very impressive presentation by Oliver Walle at our expert panel on the BGM budget and BGM strategy as an opportunity to take up the topic and create an informative article.

Why talk about the BGM budget?

In a current Expert discussion BGM consultant Oliver Walle explains that health programmes in times of crisis are "not a luxury, but essential for survival". Above all Absenteeism, staff turnover and motivation decide the success of a company today.

But only a few projects fail because they lack ideas - they fail, because no clear budget or because the money evaporates over the course of the year. A realistic financial framework ensures that measures can be planned, measured and - most importantly - are visible to everyone.

Long periods of sitting, rising stress levels, skilled workers who can choose their employer - all this is driving up companies' real costs today. Illness-related According to DAK figures, absenteeism is a good 19 days per capita. Every reduction of even one day directly saves on continued pay and indirectly ensures higher productivity.

Walle summarises the cost-benefit ratio in the presentation as follows:

"Always ask yourself two questions: What health outcome do we generate - and what economic effects does this have on the organisation?"

A key figure that has now become a classic: ROI 1 : 2.7 (according to iga-Report 40). 

This means: On average, one euro invested results in a benefit of 2.70 euros - primarily due to fewer days lost, lower staff turnover and a more motivated team. And even if individual studies paint a more negative picture, German project data reliably confirms one factor 2 to 3.

Calculating without a calculator: the "return on prevention"

The German Social Accident Insurance has published a international study has shown that, on average, every euro invested in prevention more than two euros benefit brings.

What does that mean in practical terms? If your OHM programme costs €50,000, you can expect a good €100,000 in return in simplified terms - for example through fewer continued salary payments, less willingness to change jobs and higher performance. It's not about cent-per-cent proof, but about the signal: Health saves money.

How to harmonise OHM measures and the OHM budget (ROI)

Instead of getting lost in endless Excel spreadsheets, successful HR and OHM teams start with three key questions:

1. What is our most pressing health issue?
   Examples: Back? Stress? Mental health? Employee satisfaction? Incorrect workloads in production?
2. Which target group of the workforce is most affected?
   ExamplesOffice team, shift workers, production employees, managers?
3. How do we make success visible? 
   ExamplesFewer sick days, more participation in BGM measures, better climate?

These questions help to narrow down the scope of possibilities - and direct the budget to where it will have an impact.

Guide: How to derive the budget and costs for occupational health management measures

Step 1 - Analyse and determine the problem

Instead of spending money first and then looking for effects, successful companies turn the tables: they define an urgent topic - for example, "back problems in the warehouse" or "mental health" - and derive your budget from this. If you don't know what the most important topic in your company is, short online surveys, discussion rounds or analyses of health insurance reports are suitable.

Step 2 - How much budget is realistic?

In practice, two rough guide values for the OHM budget per employee and year have proven their worth:

• 60 to 150 Euroif you want to increase your attractiveness as an employer with targeted measures - for example in the competition for skilled labour.
• 200 to 350 Euroif you need to tackle serious health problems in the company - such as a high sickness rate or increasing exhaustion in the team.

Effective programmes can already be implemented with these amounts. At the same time, you remain below the tax-free Allowance of 600 € per year (§ 3 No. 34 EStG), which you as a company can claim for health promotion measures.

Step 3 - Spread the budget over the entire process

Share your entire budget sensibly divided into three phases.

Phase 1Round one sixth goes into the preparation first. A short online survey, the statutory risk assessment and a workshop in which you define clear objectives.

Phase 2: The largest part - about 70 per cent - belongs in the actual implementation. For example, in a digital tool such as Isaback or stress courses, quick ergonomics checks directly at the workplace and small exercise programmes that get the team going.

Phase 3: The last 15 per cent you need for the evaluation. Three easy-to-understand key figures are sufficient here - sickness rate, utilisation rate of the offers and a brief sentiment value from the team. This creates a simple cycle: first check, then act, then measure and readjust if necessary.

Step 4: Implementing the measures

Target group-orientated BGM is the key. Here is an example of what a successful OHM in a company could look like: 

• VDU workers receive digital movement impulses and eye training, for example.
• Warehouse teams receive workshop courses on lifting and carrying work.
• In short seminars, managers learn how to recognise stress in a team.

Typical items: costs for collaboration with external providers, platform licences, in-house workshops, coaches, trainers, one-day events and health days.

Step 5: Evaluation & fine tuning

As soon as the Workplace health promotion measures If the back pain course is running, a clear dashboard should show the most important key figures - such as participation in the back pain course, reported musculoskeletal complaints, a satisfaction score from a short survey and, most importantly, the current ROI in BGM. This allows you to see at a glance which programmes provide real benefits and where there is still room for improvement. external costs due to absences.

After around twelve months, the BGM team is taking stock: successful programmes are being expanded, less effective or too expensive modules are being replaced by new ones. Favourable measures replaced. In this way, the budget remains in motion - a continuous cycle instead of a one-off major investment.

Five practical tips for lean budget planning 

1. Piloting instead of rolling out everything straight away
   Test new measures in one department first, measure feedback, make adjustments - then roll them out on a large scale.
2. Combine low-cost with lighthouse projects
   A free step challenge increases visibility, while a targeted back course develops real depth.
3. Take advantage of health insurance subsidies
   Many statutory health insurance funds sponsor Section 20 programmes or provide instructors - this saves money and increases the return on investment (ROI).
4. Involve the works council and managers at an early stage
   This avoids scepticism, creates commitment and increases the participation rate.
5. Make communication a priority 
   A budget only makes sense if everyone knows that it exists and how they can use it - internal newsletters, short videos, divisional manager briefings work wonders.

Examples that work immediately

• "Move & Meet" format: The weekly team meeting takes place for 15 minutes as a standing or walking meeting. It costs nothing, but gets everyone moving.
• Ergonomics speed check: A specialist goes through the office or warehouse once, adjusts chairs and monitor heights and explains the correct way to lift. Two half-day budgets are often enough for this.
• Break room upgrade: A water dispenser, two bar tables, a few rubber bands - small investment, big effect on exercise culture.

Conclusion: A BGM budget does not have to be large - but targeted

Whether you have €150 or €500 per head at your disposal: The decisive factor is, Clear health goalsa customised selection of BGM measures and a comprehensible performance review. If you think of your budget as a cycle of analysis, implementation and evaluation, you don't need to be afraid of ROI formulae. Experience shows that even small steps reduce absenteeism, increase motivation and pay off twice over for companies.

Short formula for everyday life:
Recognise problem → finance suitable measure → measure impact → readjust.

This is how the BGM budget from an Excel item to a tangible competitive advantage - for HR, OHM teams and the entire company.