The BGM Health Monitor ® – Questionnaire for Health at Work
Employee surveys with the BGM Health Monitor ®
The holistic questionnaire for occupational health management (OHM)
This measurement tool is one of a few questionnaires that maps health at the individual and farm/organizational levels. Both physical and psychological/mental factors are recorded in the context of everyday working life and evaluated using a traffic light system. Thus, the analysis can also be used in the context of the risk assessment of psychological stresses. You will then receive a clearly structured, concise and self-explanatory report of the results of the online or paper survey.
Categories of the BGM Health Monitor
1. Amount of work and working hours
The amount of work, under specific conditions, goals and expectations, is a factor that can take a toll on the psyche. In combination with working hours or working time regulations, stresses can occur here.
2. Professional requirements and quality of work/ challenges
Under this scale, u.a. records how far the employee has the possibility to use and implement his abilities and skills in the company. The level of demand is to be recorded under the aspect of challenge. Whether this is below the employee's capabilities or above the employee's capabilities. Over- and underchallenge have a demonstrable influence on the degree of activation and thus affect performance.
3. Work organization and participation/defining the work process
In the scale, the degree of freedom is measured in terms of the scope of decision-making in the performance of work activities. Here, the amption of responsibility as well as the given structures in the organization play the central role.
4. Leadership& Support
Task support is used to specifically measure trusting and respectful interactions between supervisor and employee (z.B. encouragement from the supervisor) measured. Does the employee have the opportunity to receive help from his or her supervisor to solve tasks directed at him or her and to achieve self-imposed goals? These ies are captured with this scale.
5. Teamwork& Working climate
Workplace climate at this point is understood and measured as social cohesion and support at the workplace. They are emotional perceptions of the overall situation in the organization, rather than individual relationships. The working atmosphere can be positively. Negatively affect the activation level of employees.
6. Emotional work& Emotional stress
Under emotional stress, this scale measures work-related internal tension that is perceived as strain. It is an emotional state in which the employee feels that he does not have enough resources to cope with the situation, which can lead to emotional upset. The scale does not claim to fully capture emotional distress, but only measures a selected section that has the strongest influence on activation levels.
7. Health skills
Health skills are clear resources for meeting the demands of the modern workplace. Self-efficacy, health care behaviors and a healthy lifestyle are important indicators here that can minimize risks and protect health.
8. Well-being& Health/ physical complaints& Well-being
Complaints at this point are physical complaints examined in a non-clinical context. These are low-threshold impairments of well-being. Not to diagnosed diseases or disorders. The degree of expression of symptoms is considered as an indicator of health status.
Physical well-being is understood here as the experience and feeling of one's own body as resilient and capable of performing. It is the result of the balance between physical stress and recovery. A disturbed equilibrium leads to a reduced activation level and reduced performance. Persistent disturbance of the equilibrium can lead up to manifest clinical pictures.
9. communication flow
The communication flow subscale primarily measures communication behaviors between supervisor and employee as well as between employees. In addition, the quality of communication should be examined. Here, it is the manager's job to inform and assist in the implementation of requirements, v.a. but also to be able to give feedback about the already achieved goals or partial goals. In summary, communication flow can be defined as the forwarding of information. Feedback of relevant information to the intended location to be understood.
Additional modules
Additional module: External Contacts
Employees* with frequent outside contact, z.B. to customers or suppliers are often subject to additional stresses due to moods, conflicts or complaints from external people that can be psychologically stressful.
Additional module: shift work
Any form of shift work is a challenge to health. Particularly in shift systems with night work, great demands are placed on keeping employees healthy.
Additional module: Management responsibility
To take over leadership responsibility often means to put oneself in a sandwich position. Expectations and preres from management and co-workers not infrequently cause increased stress levels.
Add-on module: Display workplace and working environment
Screen work is one-sided and has special effects on the human body and psyche. Lack of exercise. Working in z.B.B. Open-plan offices can be a burden on the health of employees.
Additional module: Home Office
Working in a home office or. Telecommuting brings many positive benefits to employees. But a remote workplace also poses the risk of not recognizing risk factors for work due to distance. The additional module makes evtl. Risks visible. Collects suggestions for improvement.
Additional module: Mobile Work
Here, frameworks of mobile work, z.B. checked in the car, in the plane or the train. Mobile workplaces not only bring freedom, but also side effects that can be a burden on health.
The BGM health monitor
Use: Employee surveys as part of company health management, risk assessment of mental stress (GBU Psyche/ GBpsych)
MHP Steps: Needs analysis, BGM indicator identification, BGM planning support, follow-up/ evaluation
Number of items/questions: standard version with 89 questions
– Outside contacts (3 questions) – Emotional work (4 questions) – Leadership responsibility (5 questions) – VDU work (4 questions) – Other jobs (7 items) – Shift work (5 items)
Questionnaire development: M. Nedler, graduate psychologist/ organizational psychology
Dortmund University of Technology Faculty of Education, Psychology and Psychology
Scientific development of a measuring instrument for employee surveys in occupational health management
Test duration: 15 – max. 25 min.
Available formats: Online questionnaire, paper questionnaire , smartphone& Tablet app
Use restrictions: Use by authorized persons only
Tool Focus: Individual& mental health, organizational health
Type of tool: screening tool/ questionnaire
Evaluation versions: Basic, Comfort, Comfort Plus
Brief description of the BGM Health Monitor ®
This questionnaire was developed specifically for occupational health management and the implementation of the mental risk assessment (GBU Psyche) and has already been used in numerous companies and administrations. The Occupational Health Measurement Tool gives you a holistic view of the health status in your organization. You will get clues for health stress factors and health resources. The questionnaire is very practical. Clearly understood by all employees. It meets all the requirements of the GDA – Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy for the implementation of risk assessment of mental stress in companies. In addition, adaptations to your specific circumstances and goals are possible.
All questions are formulated positively in accordance with the scientifically recognized criteria of a healthy and humane working environment. A negation of questions in certain work areas, occupational groups, age groups, etc. points out possible risks for the health of employees (stresses/hazards), which can be minimized by appropriate and adequate measures in a continuous improvement process.
The presentation of results by means of a traffic light system (green-yellow-orange-red) provides a simple and quick overview and can also be quickly and easily communicated to your employees.
An employee survey (orienting procedure) can basically clarify the main stress and risk factors. It is possible that detailed questions may subsequently arise that can be explored in more detail during subsequent focus groups/group workshops/health circles, observational interviews/confidential individual interviews, or as part of the "Health" working group.