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 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.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/