"Especially in the current situation, it is important that companies support their employees hanging and create virtual health offers," says Max Liebl, who is responsible for Corporate Health Management at Volkswagen Infotainment. "We offer our employees the option of having a so-called moving break, during which employees are encouraged to leave their chairs and move towards a work-out mat. We also offer digital health days where our employees can take part in mental and physical health events," says Max. At the end of March, there will be another health day with several courses on stress management and movement. "All this is part of our Corporate Health Management, or CHM for short."
CH-what?
CHM is the systematic and goal-oriented management of all operational processes with the aim of maintaining and promoting the health and performance of all employees. This unites several fields, such as Corporate Reintegration Management and Corporate Health Promotion", Max continues.
Corporare Reintegration Management (CRM) is obligatory for all companies, irrespective of size. Its goal is to overcome the health-induced inability to work, to prevent a renewed inability, to maintain and secure the workplace. Employees who have been sick for an uninterrupted stretch of at least six weeks during the last 12 months or those who are fall sick repeatedly are entitled to the program. Coporate Health Promotion (CHP) aims to maintain an employee’s ability to work, to strengthen health competence and to improve health and peace of mind in the workplace. Typical areas within CHP are movement, nutrition, stress management and stress prevention including sleep, recovery and relaxation in the work environment.
Dagmar Brüninghaus, who heads the responsible department, also knows how important and diverse CHM can be. “Often one is not even aware of why CHM plays such a central role in a company”, she says. "Whether it's safety instructions, first-aider and defibrillator training, the provision of a company doctor, ensuring ergonomics at the workplace or supporting mental health: as many potential health hazards as there are, that's how many measures we have to take to keep our employees healthy."
“Of course, a company also benefits when workers don't get sick and their work performance contributes to economic success, but that's not primarily what it's about. It's about people and their well-being. After all, this also affects the working atmosphere in a team and, ultimately, that of a company," explains Max. Nevertheless, an employer can only partially contribute to the health of its employees. Much is in the hands of the employees themselves, such as regular health checks with a GP and a balanced diet. Our CHM has set the goal to make employees aware of this. Health is everything, both at home and in the office.