Highlighting existing strengths: Siegfried’s journey towards obtaining the “Friendly Work Space” label
27 July 2026 | Comment(s) |
Martin Kamber
When it came to setting their sights on the “Friendly Work Space” label, Siegfried AG in Zofingen relied on the expertise of Groupe Mutuel. The team led by project manager Fabiola Prenqaj-Sidler can now look forward to the award procedure in the autumn with confidence, as the preparatory phase alone has already delivered valuable insights.
The competition for talent is particularly fierce in the Swiss pharmaceutical sector. In this context, a seal of approval such as that awarded by Health Promotion Switzerland can be worth its weight in gold: companies that earn the “Friendly Work Space” label stand out from their competitors. Interested prospective employees recognise immediately that this organisation systematically invests in the health of its staff.
Siegfried AG, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Zofingen, is certainly keen to play this winning card: “Since 2024, we have invested heavily at various levels in making Zofingen an attractive location,” explains HR Manager Fabiola Prenqaj-Sidler. “Apart from contributions towards public transport costs and other forms of support, our corporate health management programme played a central role in this.”
Successful corporate health management is certainly not rocket science, as the saying goes. Anyone wishing to obtain the “Friendly Work Space” quality mark will be evaluated against the 14 associated criteria as part of an assessment. At the management level, for example, these criteria include reliable values and a clear definition of areas of action and measures, whilst at the implementation level, aspects such as measures aiming at the quality of the working environment, employee participation and skills development must be demonstrated. More information (in German, French or Italian) on the label issued by Health Promotion Switzerland:
Friendly Work SpaceIt was only natural that these efforts were also discussed during a routine meeting with Groupe Mutuel in spring 2025. “We were convinced that we were already well positioned,” recalled Ms Prenqaj-Sidler, “and yet, in the weeks that followed, we realised that we still had a few things to work on.”
This was in large parts due to Joy Marxer, who attended the meeting as a CorporateCare expert and continues to support the Zofingen team on their journey towards becoming a “Friendly Work Space”. “One advantage of the label,” said Ms Marxer, “is that it breaks down the requirements for corporate health management into 14 clear individual criteria with aspects associated to these criteria. This makes it possible to assess where a company stands, much like using a checklist.”
“The label should be seen as a tool to help achieve greater impact, rather than as a trophy or an end in itself. It’s about putting various control mechanisms in place, building on these to implement sustainable measures, and assessing their impact.”
Joy Marxer, CorporateCare expert at Groupe Mutuel
In fact, the checks carried out subsequently led to quite a few “aha” moments, mostly of the positive kind: “We were surprised ourselves at just how much our Health, Safety & Environment department in particular was already achieving,” recalls Fabiola Prenqaj-Sidler. “For example, regular “safety walks” were already taking place across the site, creating ideal opportunities for dialogue and raising awareness of health and safety at work.”
The list of criteria encouraged the Zofingen team to make their day-to-day practices at the site transparent and to establish standards for them. Fabiola Prenqaj-Sidler gave an example: “When an employee returns to work after recovering from an illness, their line managers already hold a one-to-one meeting with them, but previously there were no guidelines for this and no documentation either.” At the same time, it became clear how important structured tools such as employee surveys and dialogue formats are for identifying needs at an early stage and deriving targeted improvements in the area of health and wellbeing.
“The message that good health management helps to reduce days lost to sickness has been taken on board at all levels of management within our organisation.”
Fabiola Prenqaj-Sidler, Senior HR Manager at Siegfried AG
The HR manager is convinced that situations like these hold a great deal of potential for preventative measures, particularly in view of the rising number of mental health conditions. Supported by the assessment findings and Joy Marxer’s expertise, insights such as these were incorporated into a concept that meets the requirements of the “Friendly Work Space” label. The whole process helped not only to identify areas for development, but also to highlight existing initiatives, create greater transparency and systematically further develop the company’s corporate health management.
The application was submitted to Health Promotion Switzerland in June, and most likely its assessors will take a close look at the Zofingen site during their assessment this autumn.
