A healthy company is not just about benefits. It's about company culture | Interview

ANASOFT won 1st place in the small and medium-sized companies category of the Healthy Company of the Year competition, organized by Union Health Insurance Company, a.s. The award confirms that caring for employees' health does not have to be just a set of one-off benefits, but can be a natural part of company culture. We spoke with Anna Gutyánová and Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová from Union Health Insurance Company about how companies' view of prevention, wellbeing and a healthy working environment is changing.

Union organizes the Healthy Company of the Year competition. What is its main goal, and why do you think it is important to recognize companies that systematically take care of employees' health?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: The Healthy Company of the Year competition was born from a very simple but powerful idea: to contribute to a healthier Slovakia. It was approximately sixteen years ago, when we were looking for a way to motivate people to take better care of their health. And since we spend a large part of our lives at work, the workplace proved to be a natural place where it makes sense to begin.

People often come home and no longer have the time or energy to devote to themselves. So if someone takes care of their health directly at work, it can have a real impact. For a health insurance company, it is also very important that there are fewer sick people. Prevention and early detection of problems are therefore key for us.

Anna Gutyánová: A small initiative gradually became a large competition, with dozens of companies taking part every year. Many began with individual benefits, but gradually created entire corporate health programs. Thanks to that, the lives of thousands of employees have been truly influenced.

Today it is also a matter of prestige for companies. When they place well, they are happy to share it. But it is also very important that they inspire one another. At conferences or award ceremonies, they hear what other companies are doing, then call one another and ask how they managed to motivate employees, for example, to attend preventive examinations or rehabilitation. They are not rivals; rather, they help one another move forward.

What does being a healthy company mean today, in your opinion? Is it still mainly about benefits, or rather about the overall culture of the working environment?

Anna Gutyánová: Being a healthy company today means much more than providing benefits. We see a shift from individual activities toward a comprehensive company culture that supports physical and mental health, prevention, wellbeing and healthy relationships in the workplace.

Year after year, our expert committee has a harder job. The programs are increasingly well thought out and comprehensive. Sometimes it is almost a pity to place someone second or third, because the solutions are truly high quality.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: Today, the committee values comprehensive and systematic programs the most. It is not just about a company organizing something every month. It is important for it to have a clear structure and purpose. Employees need to understand that the company is focusing on specific areas, building them over the long term and inviting people to be part of the program.

In our view, a healthy company is one where work is not just a place where a person comes to put in their hours. They also receive added value. The employer is no longer only the person who assigns tasks, but someone who cares about people's health and satisfaction.

What trends do you see today in the area of corporate health and wellbeing?

Anna Gutyánová: One of the most significant trends is psychological support. Especially in large multinational companies, it is now often available not only to employees, but also to their family members, sometimes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Companies realize that an employee's psychological burden does not have to arise only at work. It may be related to caring for a sick parent, a child, financial problems or other private circumstances. And that then naturally affects work performance as well.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: The second major topic is community and public-benefit activities. Companies are increasingly involving not only employees, but also their families or the local community. Some provide time off for volunteer activities, others improve the surroundings of the plant or organize projects that reach beyond the workplace.

And then there are activities that make the working environment more pleasant every day. We have seen companies that have herb gardens on terraces, beehives and their own honey in company kitchens, cold-exposure programs, relaxation rooms, music rooms, music therapy, exercise spaces, ping-pong tables, darts or healthier meals in cafeterias.

How do the needs of manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies differ?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: Manufacturing companies are a little different. They have to meet statutory ergonomic and safety requirements, but in the competition we also assess what they do beyond the law. They earn extra points precisely for such activities.

In manufacturing, the physical side of work is very important: ergonomics, prevention of back and joint pain, rehabilitation or measures that help people manage physical strain. From feedback, we see that when a company introduces ergonomic benefits, it can have a real effect. Fewer people then need rehabilitation or doctor's visits for back pain.

Anna Gutyánová: Non-manufacturing companies more often address mental strain. In office or technology companies, topics such as a psychologist in the workplace, psychological support for the whole family, burnout prevention or mental rest appear more often.

With sedentary work, movement and ergonomics are, of course, also important, but the pressure is often more mental. That is why these companies work more with mental health, flexibility and a safe environment in which a person can say that there is too much on their plate.

ANASOFT won 1st place in the small and medium-sized companies category. What about its approach caught your attention in the current year?

Anna Gutyánová: ANASOFT stood out already in the scoring, because it met almost all the important criteria. But during the evaluation, the company's family atmosphere also came very strongly to the fore.

It was clear that you value employees over the long term, that you have low turnover and that you offer people a comprehensive range of activities. It is not just about one benefit or one activity, but about the overall approach.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: I was also impressed by the fact that you naturally involve families in the activities. It is not only about employees, but also about their wider environment. From the evaluation, it was clear that the people who work for you are proud of the company. That they know: yes, I give something to the company, but the company also gives something to me.

A very nice symbol was the children's drawings depicting the company through the eyes of employees' children. When children draw a company, it means they must have formed some perception of it. That parent probably does not just come home grumbling about work, but creates a positive image of the company, and the child then puts it on paper.

At ANASOFT, health is connected with prevention, relationships, community and the everyday atmosphere. Is this breadth of perspective something you expect from a healthy company today?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: Yes, definitely. Precisely this comprehensiveness and long-term programs are very important. It is not enough to have one benefit. It is important for health to permeate the company culture, relationships, communication and everyday functioning over the long term

A family atmosphere at work is beneficial to health. If a person has a safe environment at work, where they are not just a number but can also express themselves as a personality, that has great value.

Anna Gutyánová: Burnout is also a major topic. It is not enough to have benefits formally in place. Employees must feel that they can openly say when there is too much on them, when they need help or when they do not feel well.

Few people dare to tell their superior: there is already too much on me, do not add any more, and let us deal with it. That is also why it is important for trust and empathy to be built in companies over the long term. Such a culture does not emerge from one month to the next.

Union is also ANASOFT's partner for Health Day. Why does it make sense to bring preventive examinations and health consultations directly into the workplace?

Anna Gutyánová: It makes a lot of sense, because this removes one of the biggest barriers to prevention: time and accessibility. Many people postpone preventive check-ups because they do not want to make an appointment, look for a time slot, take time off or travel to a medical facility. When prevention is available directly at the company, the chance that an employee will take part increases significantly.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: During Health Days, various basic measurements as well as more specialized examinations can be carried out, depending on what the company chooses. The basis is usually measurements from a drop of blood: cholesterol, hemoglobin, uric acid or glucose. A person finds out the result immediately, and healthcare professionals can advise them whether their values are in order or whether they should address them. The most requested activities include mole checks and spine screening. However, companies can also choose from other options according to their needs and budget.

What feedback do you receive from employees in companies where similar Health Days are held? What do they appreciate most about them?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: Employees appreciate simplicity and comfort the most. They do not have to go anywhere, they do not have to arrange a separate appointment, and they often get access to examinations they might otherwise never have brought themselves to attend.

They also view the variety positively. Some appreciate a basic blood test, others a mole check, a spine examination, a nutrition consultation or a prevention-focused workshop.

Anna Gutyánová: Health Days are becoming an increasingly popular part of corporate preventive programs. At the same time, they are also a clear signal from the employer. By doing this, the company shows that employees' health is not just a declared value, but something into which it is willing to invest time, energy and financial resources.

It is often said that prevention is simpler than dealing with the consequences. How do you see this from the perspective of a health insurance company?

Anna Gutyánová: Prevention is absolutely crucial. The greatest health and financial burden often arises only at the moment when people begin to develop chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or other diagnoses that gradually accumulate. When a person develops chronic diseases, treatment is much more demanding. At the same time, the risk of long-term incapacity for work increases.

The problem is that many people do not go for prevention. Participation in some preventive or screening examinations is still very low. People often come to the doctor only after years, when a problem appears, and then several diagnoses are discovered at once.

We often hear the sentence: "But I was healthy for thirty years." But an illness can be lying dormant somewhere and only manifest itself later. That is why it makes sense to create an environment in companies where it is normal to go for a preventive check-up, ask to see a doctor and devote time to one's health.

ANASOFT also uses the VIP Union partner program. How can such a program expand a company's care for employees beyond the workplace itself?

Petra Fedorik: VIP Union is not only about Health Days, although those are often the most visible activity directly in companies. In reality, it is mainly a long-term benefit for employees in the form of access to the VIPunion.sk portal, where they have a wide range of advantages available. Employees will find not only discounts on insurance products, but also various health benefits, such as preventive programs or support services. In addition, the portal also offers many lifestyle benefits - for example, discounts at spas, on e-shops or on other partner services that support health and an active life.

What examples from other companies have caught your attention the most in recent years?

Anna Gutyánová: Interesting examples include companies that invest in more extensive preventive programs. Some contracted a screening clinic for colorectal cancer prevention and guaranteed employees a quick consultation in the event of a finding. Others funded breast cancer prevention not only for female employees, but also for the wider community of co-workers.

Technological solutions are also very interesting, for example chest straps that an employee can borrow for several days and that monitor heart rhythm. Such programs can detect risks in time that would otherwise only become apparent many years later.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: I was also interested in companies that change the working environment itself. Some build cycle paths to the plant, introduce healthier eating in cafeterias, self-service salad bars or fruit juices. Others have relaxation rooms, music rooms, cold-exposure programs, herb gardens or their own beehives.

And then there are smaller but very effective things such as a ping-pong table, darts, tournaments, an exercise room, a yoga instructor. What is important is that these are not just benefits "on paper", but activities that people really use.

What would you recommend to companies that want to build a healthier working environment but do not know where to start?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: I would start by listening to employees. A company does not need to have a perfect program right away. It is important to find out what its people really need and to start with smaller steps.

It could be a health day, basic measurements, ergonomic measures, support for movement or a lecture on a topic chosen by the employees themselves. The essential thing is that it should not be a random activity, but that a broader program should gradually be built from it.

Anna Gutyánová: It is also very good to draw inspiration from other companies. This is precisely one of the great values of the Healthy Company of the Year competition. Companies see what works elsewhere and can adapt it to their own conditions.

A healthy company does not have to look the same everywhere. A manufacturing plant has different needs, an IT company different ones, a large corporation different ones, and a smaller family business different ones. It is important that the program be based on the reality of the specific company.

What do you think will be the topic for healthy companies in the coming years?

Anna Gutyánová: Healthy aging will be a major topic. The population is aging, fewer children are being born, and companies will have to work longer with older employees. This means adapting the working environment, the regime and preventive programs so that people stay healthy and able to work for as long as possible.

Today we work with someone in their thirties, but we need them to be healthy even in their fifties and not have to be on long-term sick leave.

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: Greater personalization of the work regime is also related to this. Older employees may have a different biorhythm than younger colleagues. Some prefer to start early in the morning, while others need more flexibility in the afternoon, for example for medical examinations or rest.

Burnout will also be a major topic. Companies will have to perceive employees' psychological burden more sensitively and create an environment in which it is normal to say that a person needs help or that there is too much on them.

What do you think companies could take away from examples such as ANASOFT?

Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová: That a healthy company is not created by one benefit. It is created when caring for people becomes part of the company culture, from prevention and movement through mental wellbeing to relationships, community and the everyday atmosphere.

Anna Gutyánová: In our view, ANASOFT shows that even a small or medium-sized company can have a very strong and authentic approach to employee health. It does not have to copy large corporations or invest in the most expensive programs. What is important is that it knows its people, listens to their needs and creates an environment in which they feel safe, respected and naturally motivated to take care of themselves. With ANASOFT, it was clear that this was not a one-off project. It is systematic work with health that has a clear structure and purpose.