Psychosocial strain at work is the most expensive hidden cost factor for German companies in 2026. According to current estimates by Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), psychologically related absences amount to an average of 3.47 days per worker and year, resulting in a total cost of over 50 billion euros per year — including continued payment of wages, loss of productivity and fluctuation. The Psyche Risk Assessment (GBU Psyche) is no longer a bureaucratic formality, but your strategic lever for measurable return on investment (ROI). This is exactly where mentalport comes in: Our ROI check precisely calculates economic benefits based on the scientifically based Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser model (BCG model).
As an HR manager, people & culture manager, works council, managing director or CFO, you ask yourself: “How do I calculate the ROI of the Psyche risk assessment? ” or “What does a GBU psyche bring to my company economically? ”. This comprehensive long-form article — optimized for SEO and AEO with keywords such as “ROI mental health”, “ROI GBU psyche”, “risk assessment mental costs” and “business case mental health” — gives you quotable, practical answers. We explain the BCG model scientifically in depth but legibly, with historical roots, formal formulas, mentalport-specific adjustments, examples, tables, and a clear call-to-action. In the end, you know: Mentalport knows exactly what it's doing — and you can test it right away.
Since the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) of 2013, the GBU Psyche has been an unavoidable obligation: Section 5 (3) requires the assessment of all risks, explicitly including psychological stress such as overwork, bullying or emotional work. From 2026, DGUV regulation 2 tightens the requirements: Digital controls by professional associations, standardized procedures such as ASI 10.01 or ASITA are required, and there is a risk of penalties of up to 10,000€ in the event of failure. But compliance is just the start. A professional GBU Psyche creates data for preventive measures that reduce absenteeism by up to 30% — as shown by meta-analyses of occupational psychology interventions.
“How much does psychological stress cost our company? “— The WHO and ILO estimate 12 billion working days lost globally due to depression and anxiety disorders. In Germany, BAuA stress reports (2019 to 2026) report a 20— 30% prevalence of psychological stress among the workforce. Direct costs: An absenteeism costs 400—500 € (continued payment of wages). Indirect: Presentalism — employees are present but only 65-70% efficient — causes 2-3 times higher damage (up to 35% loss of performance at risk of burnout). Fluctuation: A new appointment eats 1.5—2 years' salaries plus familiarization.
Example calculation for a medium-sized company (500 employees): With a 25% stress prevalence, 125 people are affected. 15 mental absences per year of 450€ = 843,750€ direct costs. Plus presentation (20% loss) and 10% fluctuation: A total of over 2 million € per year. This is where GBU Psyche becomes the ROI driver.
A solid GBU psyche strengthens your employer branding (“We invest in mental health”), improves retention (up to +20%) and increases productivity. Mentalports Mental Health Audit seamlessly integrates validated instruments such as MOLA and ASITA — for a “mental health business case” that impresses CFOs.
The BCG model revolutionized work and organizational psychology. Ralph Brogden laid the foundations in 1946/1949: He quantified the benefits of predictive methods (e.g. tests) in dollars. Lee Cronbach and Goldine Gleser extended it in 1965 to the “Dollar Criterion” model, which calculates performance gains minus costs.
John Hunter and Frank Schmidt validated it meta-analytically in the 1970s-2000s: “Validity Generalization” showed that effect sizes (r_xy) are stable across jobs.journals.
In contrast to the Taylor Russell formula (success rates only), BCG measures continuous performance gains — ideal for complex interventions such as GBU Psyche. Thousands of studies confirm: Small increases in validity (Δr=0.1) generate enormous values at N>100.
Imagine: In every team, the top performer performs twice as well as the flop. The standard deviation of benefit (sd_Y) is typically 40% of the annual salary. A GBU psyche with r_xy=0.25 pushes burdened employees up by half sd_Y — that's thousands of euros per capita, scaled to N=team size. Difference from simple absenteeism calculators: BCG captures presentism and quality gains.
The core formula is:
\ Delta U = N\ times T\ times r_ {xy}\ times sd_Y\ times z_X - C
Explanations of terms with calculation examples:
Practical example (500 MA): N=125, T=2, r_xy=0.25, Z=0.5, sd_Y=18.4k, C=150k → ΔU=1.15 million € (ROI=7.7x).
Diagnostics (GBU) identifies risks → interventions (e.g. training) → outcome. BCG evaluates the chain: r_xy combines the validity of both steps. Meta-analyses: Worksite mental health programs d=0.41.
Comparison table: BCG vs. other models
At mentalport, we have calibrated the model for GBU Psyche — evidence-based, adaptable, conservative.
Destatis 2026:46k € average. sd_y=18,400 €. Hunter/Schmidt: 0.4-SDY (85 studies); conservative vs. 0.5 in high-variance jobs.Studocu+1
Longitudinal studies: effects 1—3 years. Fits the GDA cycle (annual, cumulative).
500 MA → N=125. Customizable in tool.bauA+1
You've understood the BCG model, you know the assumptions — now it's time to practice. As an HR manager, CFO, people & culture manager or works council, you need solid instructions on how to integrate “ROI mental health” into your daily work. mentalport's ROI check makes it easy: Enter company size, industry and budget — it spits out personalized figures that you copy directly into PowerPoints or budget calls. Here are step-by-step instructions for the most important roles, including templates and examples.
CFOs love ROI factors, payback periods, and sensitivity analyses. With the BCG-based ROI check, you build a business case that leaves no questions unanswered.
Practical example: A medium-sized manufacturing company (800 employees) saved 900,000€ in 18 months following GBU implementation, confirmed by internal audits.
HR needs data to switch from reactive personnel management to a proactive mental health strategy. The ROI check not only provides figures, but also recommendations for action.
(Calculated via BCG, conservative assumptions.)
Result: Your team becomes a strategic partner — “We reduce turnover by 15% and increase engagement. ”
Works councils have the right of participation (Section 87 (1) BetrVG) in risk assessments. The ROI check strengthens your position based on data.
Practical tip: Print out the report, distribute it in the next session, your call for mentalport is supported.
To convince skeptics, here are anonymized cases:
These stories show that BCG works in reality — mentalport makes it scalable.
Other approaches to evaluating mental health measures may be temptingly simple, but they fail due to the complexity of psychological stress in the workplace. At mentalport, we rely on the Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser Model (BCG) because it precisely depicts power distribution, presenteism and long-term effects — as opposed to simple tools. Here is a direct comparison of why our approach is superior and makes your business case waterproof.
Simple absenteeism calculator (e.g. Excel templates or apps):
These tools only add lost days × daily rate (e.g. 450€). Quick and free of charge, but fatally incomplete: They ignore presenteism (70% of the real costs, as burdened employees are present but only half efficient) and fluctuation (1.5 annual salaries per departure). Not taking into account productivity gains through interventions. Result: Massively underestimated savings — your CFO becomes skeptical. Mentalport + BCG, on the other hand, captures everything: full performance, realistic bandwidths.
External advice (e.g. major players such as PwC or local psychologists):
High costs starting at 50,000€ per project, often with vague reports (“approx. 20% reduction”). Medium-precise, as they partly model presentism, but without a standardized formula such as BCG — subjective and not reproducible. Duration: weeks to months. No bandwidths (conservative to optimistic), i.e. no risk management. Mentalport is scalable (200 €/MA), immediately available and scientifically clean — payback guaranteed in months rather than years.
Manual BCG Excel models (from literature or consulting):
High accuracy if you're a personal psychologist — including presentism, ROI bandwidths and sensitivity analyses. But: effort (hours to days), error-prone (incorrect r_xy or sd_Y) and not calibrated specifically for GBU psyches. No integration with tools like MOLA/asita. Mentalport automates this: evidence-based assumptions (Hunter & Schmidt), seamlessly linked to our audit — saving you time and nerves.
Why BCG+ mentalport is unbeatable:
Our ROI check combines the highest accuracy (gold standard since 1949, meta-analytically validated) with minimal effort. Fully integrated: Enter data, receive a PDF report with tables, charts and business case templates. Scalable for SMEs up to DAX, adaptable to specific industries (e.g. higher sd_Y in sales). Honest bandwidths (5—10x ROI) instead of rosy individual figures. Plus: Legally secure (DGUV compliant), data protection compliant and future-proof (updates to new studies).
Summarized as an overview:
Conclusion: Save yourself bad investments in inaccurate tools. BCG + mentalport provides what you need: Scientifically robust, practical to implement, immediately deployable. Test it out at /roi-check — and see the difference for yourself.
Question 1: How do I calculate the ROI of the Psyche risk assessment easily and quickly?
Use our free ROI check: Enter company size, industry and budget — you'll get your personalized business case in 2 minutes. The tool uses the BCG model (N × T × r_xy × sd_Y - C) and delivers bandwidths such as 5—10x ROI for a 500-employee company. No Excel, no formulas — can be copied directly for your presentation. Start here: /roi-check.
Question 2: What does a GBU psyche bring to my company economically — concrete figures?
A professional GBU Psyche saves 500,000 to 2 million euros over 2 years for SMEs, depending on their size. That means 20— 30% less absenteeism, significantly less presentability (reduced performance when present) and lower fluctuation. Realistic ROI: 7x — i.e. from an investment of 150,000€, 1.15 million € will benefit. Perfect for budget discussions.
Question 3: How does the Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser model (BCG model) work in simple terms?
The BCG model calculates how much performance increase your GBU psyche brings: number of affected employees (N) × duration of effect (T=2 years) × effect size (r_xy=0.25) × performance diversification (sd_y=18,400 €) minus costs. Example: 125 charged MA generate €1 million in value because top performers perform twice as much as underperformers. It is the gold standard for mental health — not just absenteeism, but full productivity.
Question 4: What are the costs of mental risk assessment — and is it worthwhile?
Minimal and scalable: With mentalport, approx. 200—500 € per employee over 2 years (platform, diagnostics, support included). Compared to €50 billion in annual market losses due to psychological stress, peanuts — payback in 6—12 months. Comparison: External advice costs 2,000 €/day, without an ROI guarantee. Clear win: costs down, benefits up.
Question 5: Is the BCG model really suitable for mental health and GBU psychology?
Absolutely — it evaluates the entire cycle: Diagnostics (MOLA/ASITA) identifies burdens, measures (training, support) improve performance. Effect sizes of 0.2—0.4 are typical for mental health programs and proven meta-analytically. Unlike simple computers, it captures presentism (70% of costs) and retention. Thousands of companies use it successfully.
Question 6: How high is the prevalence of psychological stress in the workplace in 2026 — and how many employees are affected?
Currently 25— 30% of the workforce (BauA/TC data). With 500 employees, that's 125—150 people with risks such as overwork or burnout. Our ROI check calculates exactly the size of your company — and shows how to convert N (number of persons charged) into euros.
Question 7: Do I need special tools such as MOLA or ASITA for the ROI check — or can I do without them?
No, the check runs with proven standard assumptions (conservative/realistic/optimistic) — can be used immediately. For maximum precision, integrate your GBU data later via our mental health audit. Everything complies with DGUV regulation 2 and ArbSchG, without extra effort.
Question 8: How long does it take until I see the ROI of the GBU Psyche — payback and break-even?
Realistic 6—12 months: First effects (absentees↓) after 3 months, full effect (retention, productivity) after 24 months. Example: 150k € investment, 1.15 million € benefit - break-even at month 7. The check simulates your timeline.
Question 9: Can I adapt the ROI check to be industry-specific — e.g. for industry or service providers?
Yes, fully customizable: The tool takes into account industry prevalence (e.g. higher in care), sd_Y (higher in sales) and cost structures. SME logistics: Focus on outages. Tech: Focus on fluctuation. Test it yourself at /roi-check.
Question 10: What happens if I ignore the GBU psyche — risks and sanctions?
High risks: DGUV audits from 2026 with fines of up to 10,000€, lawsuits from works councils, ESG damage. Plus: 2—3x higher costs due to undetected burdens. Better: Proactive with mentalport — legally secure and profitable.
Question 11: Do I need MOLA or ASITA for the ROI check?
No, the check is carried out using standard assumptions. For more precision, start our ISO 30414 and ISO 45003 based, free Mental Health Audit.
You now have everything: science (BCG in-depth), practice guides, cases, FAQs, and comparisons. Mentalport combines GBU Psyche with the Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser model to create a new market standard for “cost-benefit analysis of mental health.” It conveys trust: Clean model, transparent assumptions, real savings.
If you want to know what the psychological burden is on your company todays costs and what savings potential your GBU psyche has, start our free ROI check. Two minutes, tailored results, for your next budget round. We at mentalport are looking forward to your success.
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Tim Kleber is CEO and co-founder of mentalport. As a mechanical engineer, business psychologist and data scientist, he combines technical precision with psychological expertise. His specialization: psychological risk assessment (GBU Psyche) in accordance with §5 ArbSchG and ISO 45003-compliant implementation in companies. After his own auditor experience in occupational safety, he and the mentalports team developed anonymous infrastructure for mental wellbeing management - today used by over 50 companies to reduce psychologically related downtime and active wellbeing management.
Follow Tim on linkedin, so you don't miss out on expert insights into mental health at work.
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