Slovenia — Establishing a health-promotion team at Domel

Employee-owned Domel Holding d.d. is a large global producer of electric motors, employing 952 workers with an average age of 40 years. Since 1998, their health-promotion team has focused on the prevention of ill-health to reduce sickness absence and health promotion to improve employee well-being. Return-to-work interviews are carried out to establish causes of sickness absence, particularly for employees with health problems. Causes/costs are analysed and prevention measures are identified, including medical checks to prevent disease and work adaptations to reduce accident/injury. The ‘Improving our Lifestyle and Staying Healthy’ project promotes healthier lifestyles. Initiatives include training and subsidised activities. Funded by the Health Insurance Institute since 2013, health-promotion procedures detail the implementation and evaluation of these activities. The understanding of sickness absence has increased, with a reduction in musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Success factors include the informal communication used, systematic sickness-absence analysis and continuous monitoring and evaluation. The slow rate of results and the lack of comprehensive employee health care both present challenges. The project is transferable to other companies if modifications to the work environment are feasible.