SSustainability has gained momentum in society in recent years. As a health insurer and health adviser, Helsana makes an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of the Swiss population. Our ambitions for a sustainable approach to our daily activities and our commitment to society have grown year on year, and are reflected in a wide range of projects in 2021.
Social commitment
Relief for family caregivers
We expanded our commitment in the second year of our partnership with the Swiss Red Cross. As well as first aid in 2021, we supported relief services for family caregivers and helped raise awareness of these services among Helsana customers and the wider population. Helsana employees were also able to benefit from these respite services when required.
Enabling children’s carefree moments
We are delighted to be a partner of the Theodora Foundation and to have been able to support the work of the Giggle Doctors. The Giggle Doctors visit more than 8,000 children each month in hospitals and specialist institutions across Switzerland, letting them enjoy carefree moments.
Employees applying themselves to people and nature
Helsana employees volunteered again in 2021, putting their hearts and souls into helping society and nature, such as in Caritas mountain rescue operations in Misox and Toggenburg, in the SRC’s “2x Christmas” campaign and with the Neeracherried Bird Life Nature Center in the canton of Zurich.
Helsana as an employer
A work environment that promotes health
Helsana has made sustainable developments in its occupational health management (OHM) over the past few years. The OHM team has been working on projects and team workshops for health-promoting conditions. They also offer individual health coaching for the prevention of illnesses and to avoid absences. In 2021, employees and managers took around 20 courses to further develop their strategies for dealing with daily challenges. Health Promotion Switzerland confirmed that Helsana is committed to the issue of OHM: they awarded Helsana the “Friendly Work Space” label in October 2021 for the fourth time.
Smoke-free throughout apprenticeships
BGM’s “Smoke-free throughout your apprenticeship” successfully concluded in 2021. 14 out of 16 apprentices signed a non-smoking agreement at the start of their apprenticeships. Kaltrina Bytyci (the first photo above) is one of the 13 who successfully completed their apprenticeships smoke-free in summer 2021.
Reconciling work and private lives
The UND has again given Helsana the “UND – Compatibility of Work and Family” rating. Because work-life balance is important at Helsana, related workshops took place for mothers and fathers last year as well as a “part-time trial” pilot was converted into a permanent offer. A strong indication that work and private lives can be combined with us is the fact that women make up 61 percent of employees in our business and 41 percent of employees of management responsibilities, as well as 49 percent of women and 15 percent of men working part-time.
Every opinion counts – employee satisfaction and wellbeing
A motivating, positive and health-promoting culture is what Helsana stands for. Our employees have an opportunity in an internal annual survey to share their opinion on where the best conditions are, what needs to be improved, and any other requests for changes. The most important facts from the 2021 survey are:Take the test:
How many nationalities work at Helsana?
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What did Helsana employees do to support the mountain farmers during the Caritas mission?
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How many users were registered on the Helsana health apps Helsana Trails and Helsana Coach in 2021?
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For what were we awarded by the «UND»?
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How many organizations are rated by EcoVadis worldwide?
- 83 percent of all Helsana employees took part in the survey.
- The Performance Index, which measures work attitudes and commitment, continued to rise from an already very high level – from 83 to 84 points. 100 points is the maximum possible.
- Commitment, which indicates a bond with Helsana, is around 83 points and engagement is 86 points.
- Teamwork (82 points) and professional development opportunities (79 points) also rated highly.
- No topics were identified that required immediate action.
Helsana – diverse and value-based
Diversity and inclusion as the basis for successful cooperation
All Helsana employees should enjoy the same opportunities irrespective of their age, religious and cultural affiliation, sexual orientation, and physical or mental health. The “St. Gallen Diversity Benchmarking” reviewed our diversity again in 2021 – the findings served as a basis for our internal specialist unit "Diversity & Inclusion", which promotes equal opportunities with various measures. Helsana held a virtual lunch-and-learn session for employees in the year under review, for example, to raise awareness of LGBTQI matters. “Queer” concerns were particularly discussed. Around 6 percent of Helsana employees identify as belonging to the queer community.
No room for intolerant behavior!
Helsana’s compliance culture is based on binding rules and a common understanding of values. Discrimination, employee misconduct and other absues are not tolerated. This is why Helsana expects its employees to report breaches of relevant laws, internal regulations or ethically dubious practices. Reports can be made anonymously if preferred, via the “Speak Up” whistleblowing website and will be investigated based on objective criteria. More than 30 reports were recorded and processed through “Speak Up” in 2021. The website had almost 800 hits, which demonstrates that employees know about this means of reporting and have faith in it.
Sustainability wins – Helsana takes silver from EcoVadis!
Helsana and Health Medical Services AG (HMS) were awarded silver and gold respectively in EcoVadis’ 2021 Sustainability Rating. The fact that sustainable corporate governance is a continuous process that pays dividends is evidenced by our progress in Helsana’s EcoVadis rating. Compared to the first rating in 2019, where we achieved bronze status, we got silver last year. Helsana is among the top 25 percent in its category of businesses rated by EcoVadis.
Sustainability in corporate management is increasingly a critical element of contemporary corporate governance. By awarding Helsana a silver medal, EcoVadis has recognized our social commitment and ethical actions in particular.
EcoVadis was founded in 2007 and is considered the world’s largest and most reliable provider of sustainability ratings for businesses. Its methodology is based on a range of international sustainability reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). Businesses from 160 countries take part in the EcoVadis program, which ranks them against a broad range of non-financial values. This includes factors such as the environment, ethics, procurement, and labor and human rights. The award not only recognizes Helsana’s existing commitments across a number of areas, but also encourages us to continue to improve going forward.
