“That is why an event like this is so important for BV Nederland. Because the behavior of leaders determines the culture.”
The highlight of the event is the election of this year’s Vitality Director. In short videos, Bonnie de Vries from Transavia, Judith Poe from St. Anthony’s Hospital, and Sam Henke from network operator Steden introduce themselves to a room full of enthusiastic colleagues. De Vries: “Vital leadership is not about managers, it is about leading your own individual, to take control of your vitality and health.”
This is also important for Pouw in her work, “but this requires support and a lot of attention from the manager.” Hinke says he stimulates happiness primarily through “processes that ensure that people at Steden find a good organization to work for, even if things are not going well for them.”
“We have formulated a statement that includes 8 critical points that help employers improve the vitality of their employees.”
Numbers from CBS They show that 2023 was once again a year with a rise in absenteeism. Of all 1,000 workdays, 53 workdays were lost due to illness, three fewer than in the negative record year of 2022.
In health care – the sector that must keep the Netherlands healthy – absenteeism from work was the highest, at 78 days. The reason why Sylverein Krues woke up the Netherlands. “We’ve crafted a statement with 8 critical points that help employers improve their employees’ vitality.” We challenge employers to start doing this.
Without vitality, health care stops
“With this call to directors we show our colours. As a health insurance company, we were not established to make firm statements on social topics. The fact that we are now talking about this means a lot. The message is that well-being and vitality must be the absolute priority, otherwise health care will fail.” “It stops completely because we live longer and therefore get older. But are we living those extra years in good health, or are we spending that time in waiting rooms and hospital clinics? To keep health care available, something has to change now.”
“We’ve been dealing with vitality as a business issue for a very long time,” says candidate Bo. “The aim was to demonstrate that health and well-being are ultimately good for the company. But it is precisely a business situation like this that creates a lack of trust. Because ‘good for the company’ is different from ‘good for me’. People want to be perceived as Their truth, and there can be no point. You develop vital leadership by making it easier for managers to care about well-being and vitality.
Vitality as part of daily work
Koelewijn and his team have been encouraging employers for years to actively work on vitality. “We have the right connections, thanks to our group health insurance. In addition, we provide knowledge, data, advice, partners and funding for projects that improve the well-being and vitality of employees. But we are not there yet. Ultimately it has to be done internally. This means that it is During good leadership, you must ensure that there is a corporate culture in which vitality is no longer a topic, but a part of the daily work.
“We, in Transavia, are a small community in our own right,” says candidate De Vries. “In this context, we need each other to create a truly vibrant culture. This is why leadership development is important for everyone in the organization. For the individual, this includes questions such as ‘what do you do for yourself’ and ‘how do you influence others’, because managers And team members can inspire others As an employer, you want to encourage this, so people have the tools to take control of their own vitality.
Making sure everyone matters
De Vries agrees with Colewyn’s vision: “A lively culture is of course about fitness programs and healthy behaviour. But you also have to make sure that everyone matters, that social safety is intact, that there is a place for people with informal caregiving tasks, and that you help people.” Those who have financial problems. Debt is often taboo, you don’t talk about it and as a result, your life becomes smaller and smaller, you become paralyzed, so to speak. But if it is talked about, if support and help are offered, doors will open again People will be able to work again.
At three o’clock, the moment that the audience had been waiting for in the hall arrived. Director of Vitality for 2023 Merlyn Esajas can announce her successor. Amid deafening applause, a completely surprised Sam Hinkie expressed his gratitude to the room full of colleagues. “It is truly a great honour, but it has only been possible in an organization where there are so many good things already. I hope we can all try to create a community where we influence each other less with the head and more with the body and heart.
The difference between working and not working
Henke is one of the vitality managers who are already actively working to incorporate debt issues into the company’s vitality. “We are now setting up a fund to take over employees’ debts. This frees them from all these different creditors, and we can solve the problem in a clear way through wage deductions. Because it actually saves a lot of stress if people no longer feel the pressure of all these creditors. That’s the difference between The ability to work and the inability to do it.”
“We use the successes we have with employers as inspiration for other employers.”
Koelewijn will be fully committed to raising employer awareness in the coming year. Invited by Zilveren Kruis, but also with practical examples. “We use the successes we have with employers as inspiration for other employers. In this way we try to communicate and establish strong relationships with those organizations, but also between the organizations themselves. What we want to achieve with this is an oil spill effect, so that every organization understands the need for well-being and vitality. Because it is absolutely necessary to make the Netherlands healthier and more resilient and thus maintain access to healthcare.
