The multi-generational company

The impending demographic changes in society and economy have raised our awareness of the importance of intergenerational structural changes. In 2000, only 15,1% of the population of Switzerland were over 64 years old, in 2012 it was already 17,4%, and in the year 2030 it will be 24,2%, according to the Federal Statistical Office.


These demographic developments presumably also exacerbate the current shortage of skilled workforce. The Federal Council has approved financial support measures to mitigate this development for 2013-2016, which primarily focus on education, research and the promotion of Switzerland’s innovative power. In addition to the financial measures, the Federal Council has also addressed crosscutting issues such as equal opportunities and sustainable development as important aspects.

We, the customers

We, the customers, are giving us as employees a hard time. This thought crossed my mind during the closing event of our Business & Society seminar at the University of Zurich. This year, the students conducted qualitative research projects on corporate health management. Besides discussing the benefits a company can attain by keeping employees healthy (achieving a return on investment), the discussion also addressed the limits of such measures. On the one hand, employees have to take  responsibility for their own health, thus the influence of the organization on their health is limited. On the other hand, another issue was raised: The closer a department is to the customers, the more pressure there is and the smaller the possibility of reducing the workload (an often mentioned stressor). The customers, in a competitive environment, determine their expectations towards a company. These expectations can be quite high and are only rarely met with a normal volume of work. As a consequence, corporate health management faces resistance as well.

Good stress management

Currently, we are holding a seminar at the University about stress at the workplace and health promotion in companies. The relevance of this issue is evident not only because of the keen interest of our students, but also due to its presence in daily press. Articles on the subject appear almost weekly on all possible aspects of stress:

- how stressed we are („Burnout Is Everywhere“),

- who is affected by it  ("Exhausted dancers make their point"),

- what personal and economic consequences can be observed („Feeling stressed? It's probably harming your health", "Get a life", "Burnout on the rise: Workplace woes adding up"),

- what can be done against it („Stress in the city: how employers can help"