At Naters senior center in Valais it’s all about balance. famous. Because recently there were even slackline courses for employees. These were part of the “ergonomics and balance” themed wellness days as Sonja Schwery puts it. «Ergonomics and balance are important not only for work, but also for leisure.»
Going beyond working hours and aiming to guarantee a good work-life balance, the company highlights the importance of health management (BGM). Because employees are the most important resource for the company. It is important to » take care of them, as highlighted on the website.
That’s why the Naters senior center has been labeled “Friendly Workspace” by Health Promotion Switzerland since 2013. The basis for this is company health management, which is systematically implemented according to six quality criteria ranging from company policy to human resources and work organization and social responsibility of label companies.
As part of health management, Sonja Schwery ensures that the staff of the senior center are physically and mentally fit and that the relevant offers such as sports and mental health courses and events are known and used.
Opportunity to have a say promotes health
Schwery has been visiting individual teams regularly since last year. “These are smaller groups of 10 to 15 employees that I’m exchanging ideas with. That goes down very well.” Additionally, the opportunity to have a voice also helps anchor the importance of promoting health in teams.
Schwery says direct feedback gives him clues as to where the shoe is stuck. In addition, WHM is also part of annual employee evaluations. Saying that he attaches great importance to soft skills, Schwery says, for example, that employees are given the following: “You are important. Only if you are doing well, the team is doing well too. » Because the shortage of qualified personnel in the nursing and housekeeping sector increases the pressure on the employees. Corona has made the situation worse.
“Appreciation is important to us”
“Health promotion must continually evolve,” he said several times in the interview. It pays attention to input from teams. New ideas are also generated in the health circle, which is held every two years and includes employees from all fields, and Schwery explains, “We follow the processes and control what, how and when they can be implemented.”
Collaboration with Health Promotion Switzerland, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas with other label companies at events such as the annual community event or the label award, shows Schwery time and again about new possible measures.
In addition to the classic offers such as courses, sports promotions or basics, the senior center also focuses on appreciation. “This is extremely important to us and is also included in the mission statement,” he says. Flowers for teams or chocolates for all employees, along with a personal letter with words of thanks.
Improving work-life balance
Family and career fit play a special role, given that 91 percent of the workforce is women. As such, the senior center is particularly flexible when it comes to part-time work and shift patterns. It is possible to choose fixed workdays even with low workloads. Management positions can also be performed with a 50 percent workload. A challenge for a 24-hour operation with 160 beds and over 200 employees.
Looking back, Schwery asks, “How family-friendly are Valais companies?” A survey on the subject brought new inputs on this subject. This leads to further improvements. That’s why “we pay attention to work-life balance” is anchored in its mission statement.
Of course, trainees also benefit from the measures and trainers at the senior center are trained accordingly. In addition, Valais vocational schools offer coaching to young people through the “ready4life” project.
With Apprentice, Health Promotion Switzerland offers a special offer for vocational trainers for the healthy development of students. Particular attention is paid to the difficulties faced by young people in the transition from school to working life. There are also 55 working documents “Young workers – working conditions and health”.
High employee satisfaction
As WHM director, Sonja Schwery reports to the senior center’s management. Health management is managed by the WHM Commission. They regularly exchange information and must report annually to the Board of Trustees. This also approves the budget for health promotion measures. Whether the effort pays off is regularly measured.
One clue, Schwery explains, is the absentee rate, backed by the insurance company’s semi-annual report, detailing why they disappeared. But it also looks at feedback from teams and participation rates in health courses.
Also, the biennial employee survey gives it a good benchmark. “This way we can see where we stand in a Switzerland-wide employee satisfaction comparison,” he explains. Thanks in part to the “Friendly Workspace” label, the Naters seniors center has been ranked as a top employer by employees.