Employee Health & Wellbeing
            

At Software AG, we are dedicated to motivating employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle and supporting their mental and physical health. A successful corporate health management program helps improve the health of employees, reduces physical and mental strain from work, prevents disease, enables a smooth re-entry, reduces health-related absences, and increases employee satisfaction as well as commitment. To achieve the goals of its health promotion program and allow it to be assessed by experts, Software AG is working together with public health insurance companies in Germany.

Software AG has a management system for workplace safety and health protection that covers all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries in Germany. The Workplace Safety Committee meets on a regular basis; the Workplace Safety Officer is the go-to contact for employees about any issues on workplace safety and health protection and advises departments accordingly. Moreover, the departments receive advice on ergonomic workspace design. The Workplace Safety Officer conducts regular risk evaluations of workspaces.

Many health initiatives are carried out globally, at least in those countries in which the government permits private companies to offer such, for example, the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign (voluntary and free for the employees). At Software AG, absence due to illness is below average for German companies. In addition to our global initiatives, we also have various local health and wellbeing initiatives in the countries where we employ a local workforce.

Two times a year we invite our employees to actively join Virtual Global Health Days. On these days, we offer a program with manifold offers regarding health and wellbeing topics presented by internal and external speakers, among them ‘desk yoga’, meditation, nutrition talks, or special mental health session for leaders. These days are an initiative intended to promote our employees’ health and inspire them to do something good for themself, their body, and their soul. Then, once a week, we offer a global virtual Office Mobility Session to introduce more flexibility to our employees’ workday. This 30-minute class includes gentle stretching and mobility exercises focusing on neck, shoulder, and back area. Physical tension will be reduced, posture and range of motion will be improved resulting in an overall more comfortable body feeling. Employees can join right from their desk; no gym clothes or equipment needed.

Mental health is critically important to everyone, everywhere, and covers our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Software AG is an advocate for mental health support, with various initiatives implemented across the organisation with the goal to support employees in handling mental burdens and stress. For instance, the bi-weekly “Meeting-Free Mondays to Develop & Learn” were introduced worldwide along with a meditation and mindfulness app for employees. Another key element of our employee benefit program is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides access for all of our employees in each of our countries to confidential, professional counselling services in their local language and referral services within their country or region to help manage any type of personal or work-related stress or crisis.

For many employees, having the opportunity to balance personal life, family and work is a crucial aspect in assessing physical and mental strain from work. The need for flexible working hours and models varies from one Software AG location to the next. Software AG offers employees in Germany flexible work hours, various part-time models, and a 50-plus initiative with special offerings for employees over the age of 50. Flexible work hours and work models are also a competitive factor for recruiting the best talent. Software AG reached the very high score of 4.70 of max 5 regarding work-life balance in the 2022 #MyVoice global employee survey (2021: 4.62), and a 4.33 score for the newly adopted question “My company cares about my overall wellbeing”.

The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing constraints that focused on employee safety functioned as catalyst for new work models. All employees whose job permitted them to work from home were able to do so part-time or full-time depending on the laws at their location. This prepared the ground for a flexible hybrid working model, which empowers Software AG employees to make best use of time and location and is orchestrated to drive innovation, engagement, and sustainability for the benefit of employees, customers, and business. Flexibility is fundamental to our culture built on connectivity, customer-centricity, and agility; and hybrid working has become our new standard with remote working no longer being a privilege.

One of our most long-standing initiatives is MoveYourFeet and it connects fun, sports, and charity. To join, employees choose an official endurance race and sign up; afterwards, they submit the kilometers run. Often, the local offices organize team attendance at bigger races, such as the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, and convert the event into an occasion for colleagues to meet and have fun. At the end of the year, Software AG and the Software AG Foundation donate ca. 2 Euros per kilometer for a good cause. Since 2007, we have collected approximately 120.136km in total for this charity campaign.

Software AG works to continually adapt its programs and meet employee needs. We strive to improve the high ratings we receive on employer evaluation platforms like Glassdoor and Kununu and increase our appeal as an employer to existing and potential employees.