Integration: Employers get their staff back to work
For the ninth time, the "Integration Forum" in the Pfalzkeller in St. Gallen dealt with the integration of people with disabilities into working life. The specialist organizations "drei-schiibe", Obvita, Profil Arbeit&Handicap, Suva and Procap hosted the event on the topic of "Integration of people with disabilities".
An overcrowded Pfalzkeller with an active audience of around 200 people heard a report on the experiences of someone affected that got under their skin: "It was only after Thusis that I finally came halfway around. In the morning, I left everything as if in a trance, apparently got into the car and stopped before the Bernardino tunnel and turned around again. But not in order to report to work again, but as if I had been driven by someone else, I drove to Bad Ragaz, where I took a room and isolated myself. These first words of an affected person gave the audience a first-hand impression of what the topic of "mental crisis" is probably all about. When it is not fatigue, overwork, nervousness or stress that are the main issues, but a "disengagement" that is on the agenda.
Company reacted early
After the introductory welcome by Dr. Andreas Hartmann, President of the Cantonal Trade Association St.Gallen, the discussion round for this year's forum started.Integration led by moderator Bruno Schnellmann, co-leader of Profil - Handicap&Work.
The example of the company swissplast AG from Sargans was used to show the way of an employee back into the company. The owner and the production manager of swissplast impressively described how important it was to react quickly to the psychological crisis of the previously very reliable employee by staying in contact with her during her illness.
Interaction with consultants
Future changes in the workplace were discussed and planned together. Cooperation with the IV integration consultant played an important role in this. According to Prof. Dr.med. Wolfram Kawohl, Chief Physician Psychiatric Services Aargau, it is possible to continue working despite mental illness in many more cases than previously thought. The scope of the job can be changed to create a better fit between the employee and the workplace. It turns out that job coaching is important for all parties involved and brings relief in the process design. The job coach as a translator between the parties involved, as a lynchpin of the different interests and needs, is decisive in many cases.
Integration as the normal case
The IV integration consultant was able to point out the state co-financing and report on the consultations that were needed at the swissplast company to bring everyone involved, including the employees, to the table until it was finally possible to "get back" the deserving employee. It should be noted that it was not done with one meeting, it took two or three attempts until she and the team were able to vote again. In the end, it was worth it.
The experts present from the medical, legal, social insurance and private insurance sectors and from the field of job coaching answered questions that arise for employers and employees in connection with the return to work. For the many company representatives present, it was possible to show how paths back to work can be successful. Thus, this forum is an important contribution to the fact that such integrations can be "normal" and are definitely worthwhile - worthwhile compared to dismissals and new hires.
More information: www.forumimpfalzkeller.ch
