loewe AG, Kronach

Chicago/Kronach. - Loewe has been presented with the internationally-renowned AARP Award. The prize is awarded by the “American Association of Retired Persons”, America’s largest organisation representing the “50+ generation” in employment-related matters. The award recognises outstanding innovations in personnel policy which focus on the special area of age-oriented management. Along with winners from the USA, Denmark, Great Britain and Singapore, for the first this year time three companies from Germany were also crowned “International Innovative Employers” – Deutsche Bahn AG, Sick AG and Loewe AG. Loewe was presented with the award especially for measures resulting from “Project 67", the company's response to increasing demographic change.

“Value-centred management has allowed Loewe AG to considerably reduce the effects of demographic change. The health and continued development of our employees is at the heart of our activities in this area” stated Personnel Director Oliver Seidl.

“Project 67” was born. “The basic idea," explains Personnel Manager Werner Kotschenreuther, "lies in our belief that ageing is not just relevant above the age of 50, but is rather a lifelong challenge. The effects of ageing can be dealt with much more successfully the earlier we implement preventative measures.”
Loewe runs workshops and training sessions near the workplace in order to foster a generally health-conscious attitude amongst employees. This includes workplace analyses and the installation of appropriate ergonomic equipment, as well as the organisation of sport activities during leisure time, nutritional advice and cookery evenings. Furthermore, cooperation between Loewe and various gyms, spas and sports clubs allows interested employees to organise sport in their leisure time in line with their own wishes. However, it is not only physical stress which we have to guard against from an early stage – intellectual capacity must also encouraged and supported throughout an individual’s life.

In order to make the first steps into working life easier for young people, Loewe takes on a consistently high number of apprentices and is very strongly involved in secondary and tertiary education. Theoretical education is enhanced with practical excursions, presentations and workshops, thus laying the foundations of qualified preparation for the career path that lies ahead.

In terms of workplace design, Loewe strongly focuses on employee flexibility and inclusion. This leads to a higher level of identification, whilst avoiding stress imbalance and supporting lifelong learning.

A key phrase here is skills management. Effective expansion of qualifications and skills is not just important to Loewe, insofar as this contributes to the realisation of corporate goals, but also allows employees to really "sell themselves" by increasing their market value with enhanced skills. With a new skills management system, Loewe is successively developing individual employee profiles to meet future skills requirements.

“Age-oriented personnel policy must take into account, particularly critical periods in people’s private and professional lives”, says Werner Kotschenreuther. “We believe that as part of a proper work-life balance, it is especially important that both aspects are reconciled in terms of organisation."

During these periods, such as at-home care of elderly relatives or parental leave, the work is organised in a family-friendly manner where possible. Telecommuting, home offices and flexible working hour systems reduce multiple stress factors both for the employee and co-workers, whilst allowing further training to continue.

At a lavish ceremony, Loewe was presented with the AARP Award for its numerous projects aimed at meeting the needs of an ageing workforce. The American Association described the winners as “role models” for other companies around the world, as corporate policy integrating the needs of various generations will take on an increasingly significant role in future, making the pioneering measures presented here standard.

The Personnel department at Loewe was recently recognised with a number of awards, including "Unternehmen mit Weitblick" (Companies with vision) by the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs, the Federal Employment Agency award for special commitment to apprentice training and the “AOK Award for health promotion in the workplace”. “Winning the renowned AARP award, along with being named a “company with vision” by the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs is both recognition of the path we have taken, and an incentive to continue along it.”