Occupational health and safety

Management of the material topic (GRI 3-3)

It goes without saying that Galenica attaches great importance to the physical and mental health of its employees. The topic covers the effects of business activities on the physical and mental well-being of all employees. There is an increased risk of accidents, particularly in the Service Units Wholesale & Logistics and Pharmacies, which is why occupational health and safety play such a key role in these areas. Galenica has a duty to prevent any violation of the physical or psychological integrity of its employees in the workplace. This keeps both personal suffering and costs to a minimum. Galenica also strives to identify potential health risks at an early stage and ensures a swift return to work after an illness or accident. Galenica thus makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being of its employees.

Health and safety precautions for employees (GRI 403-1, 403-5, 403-6, 403-7)

Galenica puts in place measures to protect employee health and maintain safety in the workplace in accordance with the directives of the Federal Coordination Commission for Occupational Safety (FCOS). In addition, all companies have an occupational health management (OHM) system. Galenica also uses a preventive case management system in order to identify potential health risks for employees at an early stage and take appropriate measures. This tool is deployed within the first 30 days of absence. The top priority is to ensure that the employee can return to work quickly following an illness or accident. Galenica is working with the organisations Movis and Carelink to improve health protection. Carelink offers emergency psychological support in crisis situations, for example following a robbery of a pharmacy. Movis provides support for employees concerning the protection of their personal integrity as well as stress management and burnout prevention. The Galenica Group also offers all employees an annual flu vaccination.

Due to the increased risk of accidents, the companies Alloga and Galexis also have a systematic absence management system, which is part of the OHM system. Discussions are held with employees in the event of prolonged or frequent absences, and contact is maintained in the case of a return to work after a long absence. Together with Suva, Alloga and Galexis also organise training courses on accident prevention and promotion of a safety culture. In 2023, an occupational safety obstacle course was also held by SUVA at the sites in Niederbipp and Burgdorf and a course on ergonomics in the workplace was organised at the Lausanne-Ecublens site. At Galexis, an integrated safety system was introduced for the Lausanne-Ecublens and Niederbipp sites, which systematically records and transparently presents (e.g. in an accident barometer) the identification and elimination of safety-relevant activities and situations as well as prompt accident reports for all employees. All line managers carry out independent safety audits and all findings, incidents and measures for improvement are recorded systematically and centrally. Alloga also introduced an accident barometer in 2023.

In the Galenica Group pharmacies, two employees have been designated as safety officers in each pharmacy and have received extensive training on the safety-relevant aspects of the respective location.

The Service Units Pharmacies, Healthcare and Wholesale & Logistics have appointed occupational safety officers. Each Galenica Group site also has fire protection officers who are responsible for fire safety and evacuations, as well as a first aid team that organises first aid.

The Code of Conduct for Suppliers of the Galenica Group states that suppliers must ensure a safe and healthy working environment and guarantee the protection of their employees in accordance with all applicable health and safety regulations. Further information on the Code of Conduct for Suppliers can be found in the section Integrity in the supply chain.

Objectives health in the workplace

↗  Realistic
→ Partially delayed/critical
↘  Critical
=  Achieved
×  Not achieved

The total number of cases of long-term absences (>30 days) due to mental illness is known. In order to ensure anonymity, however, Galenica only receives the proportion of cases due to mental illness from the daily allowance insurance records in the event of a large number of cases. The exact illness-related reason for the absence is unknown. This means that no conclusions can be drawn and privacy protection is guaranteed. Compared to the previous year, the number of cases due to mental illness increased by 12%.

Occupational health is one of the focal points of the revised HR strategy. In 2022, the cooperation with Movis, an independent, external advisory centre for employees on issues relating to the protection of personal integrity, was expanded to strengthen the early detection and prevention of mental illnesses. All employees now have access to counselling services for mentally stressful situations such as stress management or burnout prevention.

In 2023, the absence rate due to occupational and non-occupational accidents was reduced by 0.04%. This result can be attributed to various operational measures. More information can be found in the section Health and safety precautions for employees.

Evaluation of the management approach and measures

• Key figures: Employee absences are regularly analysed by the Service Unit People & Culture and appropriate measures are taken.
• Safety audit: External safety consultants regularly carry out safety audits at the Service Unit Wholesale & Logistics.
• At Galexis, internal safety audits (inspections) are also carried out on a monthly basis with the corresponding department heads, and measures to improve occupational safety are identified and documented.

Work-related injuries and illnesses (GRI 403-9, 403-10)