DEKRA Workplace Safety Report 2025: What HR Must Know About Safety, Health & Home Office

The DEKRA Workplace Safety Report 2025 makes it clear: workplace safety and health are under massive pressure – driven by hybrid work, mental strain, digital transformation and growing demands for sustainable employer responsibility.

For HR teams and leadership the message is: act now to safeguard productivity, health and retention. Here are the key insights – with direct relevance for mobile work and the home office.

1. Workplace accidents are falling – but absences are surging

In 2023, Germany still recorded over 783,000 workplace accidents, including around 380 fatal. While fatal accidents continue to decline, absenteeism is exploding:

• 22 average sick days per employee (up from 2016)
• 885 million days of incapacity for work in total
• EUR 128 billion in economic damage from absences

Prevention and health promotion are no longer "nice to have" – they are a strategic competitive factor.

2. Safety briefings: mandatory – but often poorly implemented

Although German law (DGUV) requires at least one annual safety briefing:

• 73 % receive regular briefings
• 9 % get none at all
• In companies with under 50 employees, 24 % receive no briefing at all

Smaller companies need pragmatic solutions – such as digital training and standardized processes.

3. Safety culture: rules known, but not lived

• 73 % know the safety rules
• But only 51 % say they are always followed

The missing element is often the safety mindset: employees don't feel comfortable calling out unsafe behavior. Strengthening safety culture also boosts trust and team cohesion.

4. Home office & mobile work: popular – but ergonomically risky

39 % of employees work mostly or fully from home – in office roles even 67 %. The positives dominate:

• 89 % appreciate the elimination of commuting
• 68 % value flexible working hours
• 56 % can concentrate better

But the downsides are substantial:

• 21 % suffer from ergonomic complaints (back, neck, head)
• 20 % work longer or at unusual hours
• 17 % lack a clearly separated workspace
• 68 % kept working from home despite being ill

This is where onyo Home-Office-as-a-Service comes in: professional, ergonomic and compliant equipment prevents long-term harm, boosts productivity and fulfils the employer's duty of care.

5. Sustainability & "culture of care": employees expect more

• 57 % say sustainability plays a major role at their company
• 69 % actively want a sustainable employer
• 61 % feel their employer truly cares – significantly less in retail and field sales

Modern employers invest in sustainable health and work concepts – including properly documented home-office responsibility.

6. Health promotion: more offerings, low uptake

• 42 % preventive medical check-ups
• 41 % ergonomic workplace design
• 34 % fitness partnerships
• 25 % stress and relaxation courses

But: only 50 % use occupational health services. Especially alarming: mental illnesses now cause 28 sick days per case – and rising. HR must create low-threshold digital offerings and make services more visible.

7. AI & digitalization: opportunity – and burden

• 29 % already see AI as a real relief at work
• 12 % feel overwhelmed
• 13 % fear for their jobs
• 32 % see rising performance pressure from digital monitoring

Companies should ensure transparency, train employees and actively guide AI adoption.

Conclusion: rethink workplace safety – especially for home office

The DEKRA report is unambiguous:

• Safety is not guaranteed everywhere
• Mental and ergonomic strain is rising
• Home offices often run without a proper risk assessment
• Employees demand more sustainability and care

The opportunity is clear: those who invest in structured, ergonomic and sustainable work environments – office and home alike – boost productivity, health and retention at the same time. With solutions like onyo, compliance becomes a competitive advantage.

Download the DEKRA Workplace Safety Report 2025 (PDF)