HIRSLANDEN COMPENSATES TIME NEEDED TO CHANGE CLOTHES BY GRANTING ADDITIONAL PAID DAYS OFF

The solution adopted by the Hirslanden Group with regard to changing time applies to all employees who wear special clothing for their work and who are obliged to change all their clothes outside working hours. At the two Geneva hospitals Clinique La Colline and Clinique des Grangettes, the solution is currently being still evaluated.

Full-time employees will receive an additional four days off on top of their contractual holidays. The additional entitlement to days away from work will be reduced proportionately for part-time employees. The 4 days' off correspond to the average time needed to change clothes across the entire Group. About 80 % of Hirslanden employees will benefit from this new solution.

Focus on employees’ needs

The main objective when formulating the Hirslanden changing-time arrangement was to find a Group-wide solution that also focussed on employees' needs.

This “en bloc” settlement satisfies employees’ needs for more flexible work and enhances their work-life balance. It was the solution favoured by the employee representatives involved in the project who were drawn from various Hirslanden hospitals, and is consistent across all occupational groups – from nursing to cleaning, catering and housekeeping. Working procedures, breaks, etc. are not affected and remain as before.

“We are delighted with the extremely attractive solution for our employees,” stated Markus R. Bechtiger, Chief Human Resources Officer.

An interdisciplinary working group will finalise the details between now and the end of the year ready for implementation.

About Hirslanden

The Hirslanden Group operates 17 hospitals in 10 cantons, many of which have an emergency department. It also operates 4 outpatient surgical units, 17 radiology institutes and 5 radiotherapy institutes. Together with public and private cooperation partners, Hirslanden focuses on the continuum of care, promoting high-quality, responsible, personalised and efficiently integrated healthcare. The Group has 2 506 affiliated doctors and 10 417 employees, 498 of whom are permanently employed doctors. Hirslanden is the largest medical network in Switzerland. In the 2019/20 financial year, the Group generated turnover of CHF 1 804 million. As at 31.3.2020, the Group had treated 107 491 patients, amounting to a total of 471 717 inpatient days. In insurance terms, the patient mix consists of 49.2 % basic, 29.3 % semi-private, and 21.5 % private insured patients.

Hirslanden is synonymous with first-class medical care provided by highly qualified medical specialists with many years of experience. As a system provider, the Group stands out from the rest of the market: interdisciplinary medical centres of expertise and specialised institutes enable it to offer the best possible individualised treatment, even in highly complex cases. The Hirslanden Group was formed in 1990 through the merger of several hospitals. Since 2007, it has been part of the international hospital group Mediclinic International plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.