The RI&E as a strategic instrument for sustainable employability

28 July 2025

The Risk Inventory & Evaluation (RI&E) is often seen as a legal obligation, but rarely as a strategic tool that truly adds value. That’s a missed opportunity. An RI&E can offer concrete starting points for sustainable employability, reduced absenteeism, and increased productivity.

Those who use the RI&E effectively gain more than just insight into risks; they also identify issues, behavioural patterns and work culture. This serves as a starting point for implementing targeted improvement actions. It allows you to proactively manage health, safety and vitality. And that pays off: organisations with a well-implemented RI&E and accompanying improvement measures show demonstrably lower absence rates and higher employee satisfaction.

RI&E and PME: the ideal combination in the PDCA cycle

The power of the RI&E is further enhanced when you combine it with the Preventive Medical Examination (PME). Where the RI&E provides insight into organisational, psychological and physical risks within the work environment, the PME provides valuable insight into how employees experience the measures taken to improve working conditions and what effect these have on their health. This makes it clear whether the efforts made in the RI&E actually contribute to a healthier and safer work environment.

This combined approach fits perfectly into the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle:

Plan: determine priorities based on the RI&E and PME.
Do: implement targeted measures, both at the workplace level and at the behavioural and vitality level.
Check: test effectiveness by repeating the measurements.
Act: make adjustments, take action based on data, and continue to build sustainable policies.

This ensures that the working conditions policy is not a one-off or ad hoc initiative, but a living system that grows with the organisation.

From healthy workplace to attractive employer

In addition to compliance and risk management, this approach also helps you to distinguish yourself as an attractive employer. In a tight labour market, employees are looking for organisations that invest in their well-being and health. A visible, well-thought-out policy on safety and vitality contributes to a positive image, higher engagement and better retention.

RI&E as a strategic tool

In short: the RI&E is not merely an administrative obligation, but a valuable strategic tool. By combining it with the PME and firmly embedding it in the PDCA cycle, you are laying the foundation for a healthy, agile and future-proof organisation.