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Heidelberger Druckmaschinen is a manufacturer of sheet- fed offset printing presses, with 7,000 employees in Germany. More than half of the employees are aged over 50. The company projects that, even if it hires predominantly young workers for the next 15 years, this demographic will not change significantly. The approach taken by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen to address demographic issues is a holistic one, aiming to improve safety and health within the company, but also looking at the individuals and taking into account personal and professional development. The interventions aim to raise awareness and encourage employees to take the initiative by identifying possible adjustments to the workplace that have benefits for their physical and mental health. Action was taken in three phases: the first involved working closely with management teams, with the aim of stimulating discussion about of the issue of the ageing workforce and analysing its impact on the future of the company. Ideas collected during this stage were followed up during the planning and implementation of solutions by the management teams. The commitment of management and team leaders was essential for starting the process of change. The second phase of the intervention targeted all employees. An interactive Demographic Change Arena was established, and supervisors completed a course with their teams, dealing with topics such as work design, leadership, health education and teamwork in the context of an ageing workforce. Having completed the interactive course, employees were encouraged to create and implement team measures to increase work ability, such as organising knowledge exchange projects or setting up running clubs. The second phase also involved implementing a host of organisational measures to improve occupational safety and health, including systematic workplace inspections, job rotation, ergonomic checks and managerial task forces for specific topics. Finally, during the third phase, the changes that had been implemented were consolidated and evaluated to ensure that they delivered the maximum benefits for the company and its employees. The changes included reconfiguration of many workplaces, design changes in assembly and maintenance processes, many one-off actions, active lunch areas, health training, development programmes for supportive leadership, peer support for on-the-job training, poster campaigns and opening a health and fitness centre. • The interactive Demographic Change Arena gave all the company’s employees the opportunity to participate in the design and implementation of changes to the company’s safety and health policies and practices. In total, 3,500 employees used the Demographic Change Arena. • Of the employees who participated in the Arena, 80 % gave positive or very positive feedback and 70 % stated that they left the Arena with ideas and suggestions. • It is estimated that the sickness rate decreased by 1 % following the interventions. That translates into savings of EUR 7 million a year. • A total of 250 representatives from external companies and institutions used the Arena, which resulted in coverage in the local press and a Human Resources Excellence Award for Demographic Management, raising the company’s visibility.

Level of Education: Continuing vocational education and training

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