Title of the practice |
Addressing demographic change with an integrated approach. |
Precise theme/issue tackled by the practice |
Demographic change has already begun to effect businesses in Saxony that are mostly run themselves by elderly persons who are facing difficulties to hire skilled workers. In order to keep them in business, they require assistance in an integrated way. |
Objectives of the practice |
Enable businesses to take organisational change to give older employees more adequate functions, assistance to introduce health management schemes in SME, raising awareness for demographic change. |
Location |
Western Saxony, Germany |
Detailed description of the practice |
FIT 4 WORK brought partners from different disciplines located in the broader Leipzig region together that collaborated to find an integrated approach to give assistance to SME. This approach included personnel management tools, health management and training modules for employees. Due to the collaboration with the major health insurance and the public labour safety organisation, a number of analytic tools were available to sensitise businesses to take action which were again offered by the partners. |
Evaluation |
10 companies participated in a pilot phase in 2007 and gave very positive feedback; Saxony provided additional funding to create a marketable integrated service for SME through its mainstream funds. |
Lessons learnt from the practice |
Especially SME need an integrated approach that does not only teach their experienced employees to act as mentors towards younger co-workers but also coaching to take organisational changes as well as incentives to introduce a health management framework within their businesses. This interdisciplinary approach can give high benefits to businesses that otherwise felt left alone with the impacts of demographic change. |
Relevant factors/conditions for the transfer of the good practice |
There are two important factors for the success of this approach: (1) there need to be a lot of sensitisation ac-tivities towards SME promoters to highlight that action amid the effects of demographic change is both possi-ble and a must; (2) an interdisciplinary team of experts is necessary to implement an approach that combines company organisation with active health promotion. |
Implementing organisations |
Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH PUUL (business support agency) bsw / firm (further education providers) MEDICA (private clinic) EVAA (active aging promoter) AOK Sachsen (health insurance) MMBG (public employers’ insurance) |
Contact information |
FIT 4 WORK Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH Leipzig, Saxony, Germany f4w@aufbauwerk-leipzig.com  |
Other possible interesting information |
www.fit4work-project.org |