Prevention of mental illness in the workplace
AXA and the German startup DearEmployee are working together to promote the early detection and prevention of mental illness in the workplace. With the launch of the new offer "Work Climate Compass", the insurer offers its SME customers a tool to promote a positive work climate and employee health and thus prevent long-term absences.
Following a successful pilot project, AXA is launching the "Work Climate Compass" for SMEs in collaboration with the German startup DearEmployee, initially in German-speaking Switzerland. The offer is available to the insurer's SME customers. With it, AXA supports small and medium-sized companies in making psychosocial risks in the workplace visible and in using their resources specifically for the health of their employees. Current figures show that this meets a need. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 21 percent of employees very often suffer from stress at work. Almost half of the stressed individuals feel emotionally exhausted at work and consequently have a higher risk of burnout (BFS, 2019). On the corporate side, work stress results in productivity losses estimated at over seven billion Swiss francs per year (Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz, 2020).
Rapid tool for the evaluation of mental stress in the workplace
The "Work Climate Compass" is based on a survey methodology scientifically developed and validated by DearEmployee, which provides companies with continuous insights into which working conditions place a psychological strain on their employees. In addition to mental health, the innovative method also covers currently important topics such as working in a home office (accessibility, flexible working), social isolation or digital competence.
The tool works quickly and easily, with employees answering an online questionnaire whose results and recommended actions derived from them are available to the company just a few minutes later. DearEmployee's software is also equipped with artificial intelligence that adapts in the background to the specifics of employees' industries and areas of activity.
Appropriate measures immediately after the survey of the personal condition
Immediately after viewing the results and recommendations for action, the company can find and book suitable solutions via the DearEmployee marketplace - e.g. leadership coaching and courses, time management workshops or digital mindfulness courses. "This is what sets the new product apart," says Henning Jakob, CEO and co-founder of DearEmployee, explaining, "Employees usually have to wait months, if not years, for suitable measures to be offered to them, because supervisors first have to get an overview of the plethora of measures and solution providers. This wastes a lot of time that could actually be used more wisely."
Measures to prevent mental illness in the workplace
The causes of mental illnesses are manifold and lie not only in the private sphere but also in the professional sphere. Symptoms of mental illness are recognized late and often not interpreted correctly. As a result, stressed employees are either not offered any measures or are offered ineffective measures. The "Work Climate Compass" aims to change that. "We are pleased to have found an innovative and at the same time professionally strong partner in DearEmployee," says Claudia Bienentreu, head of the AXA Open Innovation Team. "This allows us to offer our corporate customers a quick and professional solution to help promote mental health in the workplace."
Source and further information: AXA
