Rethinking health for
employees
The VITENSO Health Center in Darmstadt opens its doors on September 1. The new building offers Merck employees completely new and unique opportunities for their fitness and health close to their workplaces. The health center with integrated physiotherapy practice will in future bundle all health measures of the company headquartered in Darmstadt.
Around 11,000 people work at Merck in Darmstadt. Employee health has played a major role for the company for many years, as Manfred Gertlg, Head of Health & Prevention, explains: ‘The health of our employees is of central importance to us. Our new standards enable us to provide a high level of care security, for example through prompt appointments. If the concept works, employees will benefit from improved healthcare and, in the best-case scenario, the employer will have less downtime.”
Gertlg and his team take care of the BGM and BGF activities at Merck. These include, for example, §20 courses or measures for an ergonomic workplace. Depending on the job, there are different complaints that should be addressed as individually as possible. The basis for determining measures is a system of key figures with an anonymous overview of aggregated health data.
High standards in the training area
The idea of having our own fitness studio had been around for some time and was then implemented in 2020.
Access to the fitness studio on the first floor, which is restricted to Merck employees, costs EUR 39 per month, with special conditions for individual groups such as trainees.
A large area with a wide range of equipment is available for this purpose. The individual areas (strength, cardio, EGYM circuit and functional) have been physically separated from the physiotherapy area. There is also a wide range of courses on offer and prevention courses are also held here. An outdoor area is also available.
The interior design, including the changing rooms, strikes a balance between an industrial look and warm wooden elements. High standards were chosen for the furnishings. The employees should feel comfortable.
For us, speed in accessibility and in making appointments is more important than a monetary advantage for employees through a further discount,” says Gertig, confident that the concept will be successfully implemented in this way.
Noticeable demand at the start
There were already more than 300 registrations at the start. The medium-term goal is a four-digit number of members. Guided tours before the opening and a broad-based information campaign are intended to arouse interest and draw attention to the new offer.
The studio is open from Monday to Saturday. As with the range of courses on offer, the times are based on the preferences of employees. Another advantage for members is that anyone who does not want to train before or after work can access all FitnessFirst locations nationwide for an additional charge.
Physio area on the upper floor
A therapy practice with a KGG room is located on the upper floor. Employees should receive an appointment here within three days and, ideally, continue their training in the studio after convalescence.
In the next issue, we will take a closer look at the VITENSO concept. What requirements should a health center meet for a larger company and what needs to be considered during planning and implementation?
Author: Philipp Hambloch
