Advertorial: “If we don’t care about health, who will?”

The Graubünden SVA also manages health issues, in particular disability insurance. It is therefore not surprising that it also cares about the well-being of its staff and that it has obtained the “Friendly Work Space” label from Promotion Santé Suisse.

Help, support and support in the social insurance jungle: the approximately 210 employees of the compensation fund (Sozialversicherungsanstalt, SVA) in the canton of Graubünden wear several hats. In particular, they ensure, through professional integration measures, that people with health problems can remain in the job market or reintegrate into it.

For Thomas Pfiffner, member of the board and head of the disability insurance (AI) office, one thing is certain: “if we, as disability insurance, put pressure on employers to and they care about the health of their staff, so we must lead by example. If we don’t do it, who will? After all, health is our core business.” And yet, there are also cases of burnout within the SVA. “It seems crazy because we know how to avoid them. But unfortunately, it also happens here,” he adds.

It is in this context that SVA Graubünden decided to ensure the well-being of its employees by implementing a systematic corporate health management (GSE) policy, which earned it the label in 2023 “Friendly Work Space”, presented by the Promotion Santé Suisse foundation, which itself has a legal mandate.

But why is a label even necessary? On the one hand because SVA Graubünden has been seeking to adopt a health management policy for a long time, explains Andrea Rohner, director of human resources. But due to personnel changes within the administration department, the various attempts were never successful. However, director Urs Grischott has made the health of his employees his priority. “On the one hand in order to implement a GSE policy and thus increase our attractiveness as an employer, in accordance with the principle “Do the right thing and make it known”,” adds Andrea Rohner. And on the other hand to have an instrument “to maintain the good health, performance and motivation of our employees”.

Open door policy and employee development

The certification process has been defined as an annual objective of the SVA. “We have real know-how in health and prevention, thanks to our doctors and the many collaborators from the health sector,” explains Thomas Pfiffner. Expertise and sensitivity that can be leveraged.

“Our corporate culture has not changed because of the label. We respect a charter and management principles that are both simple and well-established.” On a daily basis, it was very easy for us to establish a climate of mutual respect, for example: by introducing a culture of familiarity, or the open door policy at director Urs Grischott, which allows employees to report their concerns. requests with ease. A policy also applied by other senior managers, who listen to staff. “We always try to maintain contact,” explains Thomas Pfiffner, “because it promotes self-esteem.”

An openness that is appreciated by employees, as Andrea Rohner points out: “what emerged from the survey and analysis of stress at work (Job-Stress-Analysis – JSA) is that employees feel valued in their workplace.” The JSA provides a detailed overview of the level of stress within an organization. Resources, constraints and health are presented at the team, department and organizational levels. In this way, decision-makers can specifically reduce stress factors and strengthen the resources available to teams. The survey makes it possible to anonymously compare almost 1,000 companies and more than 100,000 organizations in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, among which SVA Graubünden figures prominently.

Stress related to increasing files

However, work pressure is also increasing within the SVA. This is due to “the increase and increasing complexity of cases,” explains Thomas Pfiffner of the AI ​​office.

The same applies, for example, within the team in charge of additional benefits from the compensation fund or that in charge of AVS/AI benefits, whose volume of work continues to increase due to the demographic evolution. Andrea Rohner cites an example from the JSA in this regard: “In some departments, telephone consultations are a source of stress. Because employees have to concentrate on a complex case, then hang up and immediately dive into a new file.”

Various solutions have been put in place to remedy this, including consultation hours organized in a targeted manner and telephone time slots. In addition to these measures, framework conditions have been established to preserve the health of staff, for example the annualization of working time, the elimination of time blocks and a relaxation of the rules regarding teleworking.

Not to mention the “Arbeitsplatz 2025” (Workplace 2025) project, currently being implemented, which is expected to bring significant changes. Indeed, this provides for the elimination of individual workstations at all hierarchical levels. New areas will be created, intended for teamwork and interdepartmental collaboration. The aim is to strengthen a common culture within the SVA, continues Thomas Pfiffner.

The importance of the health circle

Jointly with the cantonal administration, the SVA offers a varied sports offering to its staff. New employees benefit from advice on ergonomics. “For our colleagues, the “Friendly Work Space” is much more than a label, it is a series of concrete measures to improve well-being at work – from the distribution of free fruit in the cafeteria to the manager or the director who takes the time to speak individually with her colleagues. It’s an approach that is an integral part of our culture,” emphasizes Thomas Pfiffner.

The director of the AI ​​office welcomes in particular the creation of the GSE café which, four times a year, promotes exchanges between the GSE committees and employees, and makes it possible to present the different offers to staff members. Thomas Pfiffner and Andrea Rohner also recall the importance of the health circle, which meets at least once a quarter, or even more if necessary. This annual planning makes it possible to establish the main themes, and the meetings are also an opportunity to raise new issues. Two of the four members of the board of directors are part of the circle. “This allowed us on the one hand to strengthen decision-making power, and on the other hand, to considerably rejuvenate the average age of the circle,” explains Thomas Pfiffner. Indeed, Generation Z employees have been deliberately integrated into the health circle.

The positive impact of the label

The health circle allows you to create offers and workshops, for example for the promotion of resilience or stress management, or simply to submit your suggestions for improvement in a suggestion box. “But one of the most important elements for the mental health of our employees remains our supervision and coaching offering,” says Thomas Pfiffner. This allows, if necessary, to benefit from advice from external contacts at low costs.

The success of these GSE measures results in a reduction in absenteeism and greater employee satisfaction. And the “Friendly Work Space” label also makes it easier to find new recruits. “A lot of people know the label. They know what that means, that we take care of our staff,” concludes Andrea Rohner.

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