SATISFIED AND HEALTHY EMPLOYEES

Employee satisfaction is a top priority at König + Neurath. One benchmark for a good workplace climate and positive relationships within the team is the average duration of employment at the company: In this company it’s 15 years. We also aim to enhance the workforce satisfaction further with the works health management policy.

We conducted an in-house survey on working atmosphere in 2021. 42.5% of employees at König + Neurath took part, returning an informative and representative response. The idea is to create a new way of working together and promote a new corporate culture on the basis of these results. The directors of König + Neurath AG consider development of strategy and culture to be the most important task. The first step in implementing this was a kick-off event involving all König + Neurath AG management in October 2021. In November 2021 we ran management workshops to define the shared corporate values together. The idea was for these values to form the basis of the code of conduct and decision-making of all employees. In 2022 there will be a strong focus on communicating and emphasising these corporate values to all employees and integrating them into the daily work routine.

In March 2016 the “Demography” collective wage agreement was concluded with IG Metall, in which the issues of an ageing workforce and health are actively addressed. The Demography collective wage agreement outlines a commitment on the part of the employers to pay a fixed sum each year for this (2022: 450 € per employee) into a works health management fund. König + Neurath uses these investments by agreement with the works council to fund measures that promote health.

All employees have access to a variety of benefits and perks, such as:

• subsidised preventative massages
• subsidised gym sessions
• subsidised corrective eyewear, hearing aids and dentures
• participation in seminars on health topics, such as dietary advice
• sports activities such as running clubs, yoga or back exercises, and free use of the local swimming baths.

We had to temporarily stop activities with an infection risk during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of disease. Subsidisation of health-promoting activities was stopped as well. Instead the remaining balance in the health management fund at year end 2021 was paid out to all employees, to help compensate for the financial consequences of the Covid pandemic.

A supplementary collective wage agreement was concluded between the works council and IG Metall, to lessen the financial impact of the Covid pandemic.At the request of the works council, these payments for 2022 were made directly to employees rather than going into the health management fund.

König + Neurath prioritises the health of the workforce. For this reason we’d like to reinstate and increase activities as soon as this becomes appropriate in terms of infection and finances.