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How companies can turn a €1,000 relief bonus into a sustainable health benefit worth €3,400 per employee.
The relief bonus is the federal government’s response to rising energy prices resulting from the war in Iran, which have driven up fuel prices and the cost of living in particular. The measure allows employers to pay their employees up to 1,000 euros tax-free through June 30, 2027, to help alleviate financial burdens.
The relief bonus is a voluntary benefit that employers may, but are not required to, provide to their employees. The payment is made by the companies themselves, with the government merely waiving taxes and social security contributions.
While these measures are presented as relief, the employer is in fact bearing the costs. Critics argue that the federal government is thereby shifting state responsibility onto businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises with limited liquidity. The federal government is creating a tax authorization—not a subsidy, not a grant. The costs remain entirely with the employer.
In addition, companies must first generate the relief bonus before it can be distributed.
Example: A company with 100 employees would, for instance, have to come up with 100,000 euros in cash to cover the full premium. That money would then be unavailable for important investments.
"Special payments deprive businesses that are already under pressure of the liquidity they need for necessary investments. This is the opposite of an economic policy that supports small and medium-sized enterprises." German Confederation of Skilled Crafts, April 2026
Invest more wisely: Instead of a one-time payment, invest in your employees’ health and motivation.
How should we handle the relief bonus? What is a good alternative to the one-time payment?
The fact is: With this measure, the federal government has raised enormous expectations among employees, creating a dilemma. What happens if Company A pays the bonus but Company B does not? How will this affect employee motivation?
Svea Bielert, HR expert at FRIEDERBARTH GmbH in Hamburg, comments:
“Top performers pay very close attention to this. In performance reviews, it’s not the bonus itself that comes up, but the sense that they aren’t valued. That is the real risk for any company.”
At the same time, the relief bonus comes at an inopportune moment, because in addition to geopolitical and competitive strategy issues, HR managers are facing fundamental challenges:
- 58.7% of employees report an increased workload over the past 12 months. Main factors: skills shortage (36.3%), economic uncertainty (27.9%), bureaucracy (26.3%), AI development (19.1%), restructuring (17.3%), generational change (11.8%).
- HR also identifies early warning signs such as rising sick leave rates (49.5%), declining engagement (41.7%), longer recruitment times (29.5%), and workforce adjustments (25.5%).
A relief bonus to boost health and motivation!
Given the context outlined above, the key question must be: What if we were to convert the relief bonus of €1,000 per employee into a “health and motivation booster”? The successes achieved by pioneering companies through workplace health management and the associated supplemental health insurance (bKV) are well-documented and consistently positive, as illustrated by the following perspective from Tim Bütecke, owner and managing director of the HFH Group in Hamburg:
“As an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience, I’ve seen crises from every angle. What I’ve learned is this: if you stop investing during a crisis, you’ll fall behind. Those who spend money blindly lose their capital. It comes down to investing in the right things at the right time. The relief bonus is well-intentioned—but it is not a strategic tool. It is a one-time payment with no lasting effect. I speak here as someone directly affected: As an employer, I face the same trade-offs as our clients. And I have chosen the bKV.”
Kai Kutter, CEO of Battery-Kutter, also agrees with this clear recommendation for a workplace wellness program:
“Since introducing the corporate health insurance plan with FAKTOR MENSCH , we FAKTOR MENSCH reduce sick leave at Battery-Kutter by 50% in just two years. This impressive achievement has not only increased employee satisfaction but has also led to lasting improvements in efficiency and the workplace atmosphere.”
What does that mean in concrete terms: Investing in health—instead of a one-time payment
We used the relief bonus of 1,000 EUR per employee as the starting point for our sample calculation (see the figure below). In a nutshell, this means: If you invest 40 EUR per month per employee in a corporate health insurance plan over a 24-month period, you generate 3,400 EUR in health benefits—triple the value for your employees. No cash flow shock, no health check, and tax- and social security-free.
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Sample calculation for a company with 100 employees:
Corporate health insurance costing 40 euros per employee per month would cost a company with 100 employees 40,000 euros per year. That sounds like a significant expense. But it isn’t, when you do the math: Avoiding a single sick day for an employee earning an average wage costs a company between 300 and 600 euros, depending on the industry. For a company with 100 employees and a reduction in sick leave of just three days per person, this translates to avoided lost productivity of 90,000 to 180,000 euros per year.
The cost-benefit analysis is clear: Corporate health insurance is not a social benefit. It is a business calculation.
At this point, at the very latest, the question must be: What does it cost your company not to invest in the health of your employees?
The right time? NOW!
The corporate health insurance market is growing rapidly. Companies that introduce corporate health insurance today position themselves as pioneers. Companies that wait until it becomes standard will lose their competitive edge. Already today, more than 86,000 companies in Germany offer their employees a corporate health insurance plan—that’s more than twice as many as in 2022. At the same time, nine out of ten German companies still do not have a corporate health insurance plan. The window of opportunity for early adopters is still open!
*As a full-service provider specializing in workplace health management and corporate health insurance, FAKTOR MENSCH supports clients from the initial consultation through to successful implementation and ongoing support. For 26 years now—based in Hamburg, serving all of Germany. Please feel free to contact us.