Globalization, digitization and knowledge transfer: the world of work is changing. And with it, the demands of employees and entrepreneurs on their working or office worlds are changing. "Current developments are not fundamentally different from ten years ago. But: Their interpretation goes much further. Digitization or mobility permeate the working world in a new dimension. This accelerates and changes processes sustainably. A sustainably designed office must adapt to this. What is interesting here is that currently it is rather the large companies that are learning from the small companies to do this," says Sven Bietau, Managing Director of conceptsued gmbh. The consulting firm from Munich supports companies in the selection and redesign of commercial properties. One key observation: small, inexperienced companies in particular are the driving force behind current developments. They try out more, also allow ideas to fail. Sven Bietau uses seven trends to explain what the workplace of the future will look like.

Megatrend: Individualization of work

New technologies and digitization are making it possible to live an increasingly individualized life. The car can be tailored to one's own needs. When shopping, consumers are no longer tied to cities or stores. Even if older generations find this more difficult: Generations Y and Z, born in 1980 and later, are digital natives. For them, certain freedoms are normal. This also affects their demands on the workplace. "In the past, there were workplaces filled with people. Today, the office is all about people and new ways of working. 'Srcum Working' and agile working are just two trends there that are taking hold in many companies," says Sven Bietau. According to the expert, there is no one right office. Rather, certain basic requirements must be met, such as fixed locations for clerical work. Beyond that, however, areas are created that can be used individually and flexibly. There are no longer any fixed rules or places.

The office as an emotional bonding agent to the company

The location of the workplace was hardly important to employees in the past. Pride was taken in the corporate brand. Today, the location, concept and furnishings of the office are the focus of appreciation. Sven Bietau: "Many experts say that location is more important today than salary. I am convinced that both are now so important to young professionals that the much-described 'war of talents' cannot be won with a good location or an appropriate salary alone."

The office as a place of well-being

What is true for one's own home is now increasingly true for one's job as well: People want to feel good at their workplace. Forward-looking entrepreneurs know that office environments that employees enjoy are important prerequisites for motivation and performance. The same applies here as in one's own four walls: The furnishings should be multifunctional and flexible. In this way, entire rooms can be rethought again and again and adjusted to different work situations at any time.

The office as a social hub

Within the office, teamwork is becoming more important - but for limited periods of time. According to the so-called 'Scrum Working' model, colleagues work together on a topic for two weeks, for example. The work is started in the group. This is where everyone's knowledge is pooled. This is followed by the individual implementation of the necessary individual tasks and discussions in small teams. These teams then present their results to their colleagues in the larger team. The goal is the rapid and creative development of ideas within short time intervals. In this way, workspaces develop into 'hubs' that can be quickly enlarged for joint brainstorming. Retreats allow concentrated work alone. Lounges invite casual conversations, sports areas invite exercise.

The office as a knowledge broker

The individualization of the employee is also accompanied by increasing demands on the employer in terms of further training. Sven Bietau: "Employees today want to develop their own skills or reduce deficits. At the same time, they also have to do this because technical progress is becoming ever faster. For this, too, employers must create space in their own companies and offer appropriate technologies."

The office as a technology laboratory

Formerly reserved for the boss or department head, the cordless telephone is now part of the office standard. With it, employees can be reached at their fixed workstation, in the meeting room or in the lounge. Increasingly important, however, are software and technology: employees in companies write programs themselves and share them with colleagues via screens; infinite whiteboards can be shared by everyone and filled with information. "Screens are alive today: The computer-aided drafting program can be open on one screen, and next to it, simultaneously, a website on the Internet, a video screen, and a hand sketch. This is increasingly important for communicating with customers and colleagues who are not in the same location, for developing products, and for solving increasingly complex tasks," says Bietau.

Trust vs. control

Sofa, park, lake or 'home office': Today's employees want to decide for themselves from where they start their laptop or make a phone call to the supplier. This, too, is leading to changes within the office worlds. Sven Bietau: "The basis and prerequisite for the success of the new ways of working and the office worlds designed for them is trust. It is no longer presence that is the proof of performance, but the work result."

Source and further information: http://www.conceptsued.com/

European workers have a strong appetite for international work or careers. Nearly three-quarters (74%) would consider working in another country to pursue career opportunities, according to research from ADP®. For the study, titled "The Employee View in Europe 2017," nearly 10,000 employees across Europe were asked what they thought about the future of work, international competitiveness and talent management.

Switzerland in 4th place

Germany (21%), the UK (15%) and France (12%) top the list of most desirable places to work, while North America is surprisingly much further down the list at number 12.

1. Germany
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Switzerland
5. Austria
6. Belgium
7. Spain
8. Norway
9. Netherlands
10. Italy
11. Sweden
12. North America
13. Ireland
14. Denmark
15. Luxembourg
16. Finland
17. Portugal
18. Russia
19. Asia Pacific
20. Iceland

What makes the top countries so appealing?

 Despite their popularity for international careers, Germany, the United Kingdom and France are not particularly strong in the areas the study asked about, such as skills and development, flexible work opportunities and workplace stress. In fact, workers may have more balanced lives and more interesting opportunities in countries that don't top the list, according to the study. Instead, pre-existing perceptions of the country, economic stability, distance from home and language skills have a greater impact on preference. Employees who are most interested in working abroad (Poland, Spain and Italy) are also the ones who say it is important to improve one's language skills.

Does any talent want to cross borders?

Despite the overwhelming interest across the continent in international work, over a quarter of employees (26%) would never work abroad. Significantly, there is a marked difference in opinion between men and women, with 18% and 36% respectively not wanting to work abroad. Interestingly, French (46%) and British (43%) employees are the least interested in working abroad. The results also show an expected trend of younger workers who would be more likely to work abroad. An astonishing 87% of 16- to 24-year-olds would be interested in pursuing career opportunities abroad, compared to only 56% of those 55 and older.

International battle for talent

Sebastien Moyon, Service Delivery Director at ADP Switzerland, says: "It is clear that Europe has an appetite for international work. The battle for talent and widening skills gaps are challenges that span the continent. It is essential that companies consider adapting to a more international workforce. Encouraging the cross-border development of talent and employing people from diverse backgrounds, is important to keep up with global competition. If companies consider the needs of their employees and potential talent, they will be able to reap the benefits of an engaged and optimistic workforce.

For more information visit www.adp.ch

Digitization at Swiss companies is advancing in leaps and bounds. However, according to a recent survey of 700 Swiss companies with 30 to 2,000 employees conducted by the consulting firm EY, SMEs are threatened by a digital two-tier society: a gap is opening up between successful and less successful companies. The importance of digital technologies has increased significantly compared to the previous year. Well over half of them already use digital technologies: 60 percent attach medium to great importance to them - in the previous year, the proportion was still 45 percent.

However, successful companies rely significantly more on digitization than companies with a poor business situation and negative business prospects. For 62 percent of the "top performers," it plays a very large or a medium role. By contrast, only 30 percent of the less successful companies say that digital technologies are fundamental to their business model.

No investment due to lack of funds

More than two-thirds of respondents see no fundamental obstacles to investing in digital technologies. However, more than twice as many as last year (15 percent) have too little money, 9 percent lack qualified employees and 8 percent have too little know-how. "Many medium-sized companies are at a crossroads," is the finding of Marcel Stalder, CEO of EY Switzerland. "Some of the companies are adapting flexibly to new developments. These manage to further develop their business model through innovative products and services. Others, however, will lose out: They do not invest enough in the transition to digital technologies, do not look specifically enough for suitable employees, or neglect cultural development. The Swiss economy is threatened by a digital two-tier society."

Digital advocates on the rise

The companies themselves know that they have to face up to digitization: The proportion of companies that are open to this megatrend has risen to 83 percent. Only 17 percent (previous year: 36 percent) say that the importance of digital technologies for their business model will not increase in the next five years. However, many companies still find it difficult to implement this realization in their day-to-day business. For Martin Ceccon, EY Digital Strategy Leader Switzerland, one thing is certain: "Many companies will still experience serious upheavals. They need an agile strategy for digitization, innovative products, services and new business models. Provided the leadership understands and promotes digitization as an opportunity, new exciting growth opportunities will arise. On the other hand, those who hold on to an outdated business model for too long will be among the losers."

Against digital two-tier society

"Size matters" - at least when it comes to using new technologies for their own business: Almost three-quarters of companies (73 percent) with sales of over CHF 100 million use digital technologies. By contrast, only just under one in five (21 percent) of companies with sales of less than CHF 30 million say digital technologies are very important.

Martin Ceccon also calls on smaller companies to be open to digitization, to acquire new skills and knowledge, and to invest in appropriate technologies, because otherwise there is a risk of a dangerous downward spiral. "Even companies with 100 or 200 employees can optimize supply chains, intensify customer relationships or individualize products. They become more flexible and save money, time and resources. Cooperations are important, not only if the company lacks the money or knowledge for its own digital solutions. Companies need to build a digital ecosystem with partners. This means more and more inorganic growth as well." In addition to an increase in collaborations, Martin Ceccon also expects the number of specialized digital solution providers to increase massively in the coming years. "There is still a lot of room to grow for digital solutions as modular systems. For example, smaller companies that do not need their own solution can make use of open platforms and incorporate them into their processes. We will see more of these types of services for small and medium-sized companies on the market in the future."

Switzerland evenly digitized - Germany split

The digital two-tier society has no clear boundaries. There is no discernible divide in Switzerland when it comes to digitization. The survey shows that digitization is accorded almost the same importance from Geneva to Romanshorn. The location initiative for digitization and innovation, digitalswitzerland, which is supported by EY Switzerland and many other organizations, also aims to ensure that digital strategies, business models and technologies are disseminated throughout Switzerland, especially by promoting startups. A comparatively unbalanced picture in terms of regional distribution emerges from the survey conducted in Germany at the same time: In the northeast of the country, the proportion of companies that describe digitization as very important for their business is six times lower than in the southwest.

According to the survey, the importance of the individual technologies and application areas has increased across the board in Switzerland. Above all, customer relationships are now organized digitally by the companies surveyed. 69 percent of the companies use digital technologies for this purpose. Mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets are now used by 54 percent of companies, whether for the work of their employees or for product sales. More than half of the companies also sell products online, with the proportion rising from 44 to 52 percent.

You can also find more information in a Expert interview in EY's annual report.

The history of Stans-based Maschinenfabrik Schilter leaves nothing to be desired in terms of drama. Between 1959 and 1972, the company developed from a 3-man operation in Stans' Schmiedgasse into an internationally active SME with 270 employees. Its product: all-terrain vans for mountain farming. At the best of times, Schilter produces and sells 1000 vehicles per year. The Stans-based company is considered a pioneer of mechanized mountain farming. But the impressive rise is followed by a thunderous collapse, in which the Nidwaldner Kantonalbank (NKB) is also thrown into turmoil: a fascinating piece of Nidwalden technology and economic history.

The exhibition will be accompanied by various side events:

• Spotlight Tour: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 6:30 p.m. Eva-Maria Knüsel, Head of Mediation, will lead a tour of the exhibition in dialogue with experts.
• Engine noise and oil smell. A spoken word evening at the museum in cooperation with lit.z: Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 6:30 p.m. (event details to follow).
• Public tour: Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 6:30 p.m. Fabian Hodel, curator, will guide through the exhibition.
• Schilter stories. Contemporary witnesses tell. Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 6:30 p.m., Chäslager Stans (event details to follow).

The exhibition in the Nidwaldner Museum Salzmagazin lasts until October 29, 2017.

More information: www.nidwaldner-museum.ch

One thing in advance, according to Stefan Häseli: "Whether this act is good for the world or how bad it will be when the impulsive new president shapes not only the fate of the USA but also, linked to this, to a large extent that of the world for the next four years, is left to the political observers. The fears that Donald Trump will continue to frighten many with his often outspoken statements are undoubtedly justified. Already, the world public is amazed at what he allows himself verbally." He added that it is exciting to follow how Donald Trump communicates: "You have to separate two things here. On the one hand, he very often ignores all the rules of constructive communication and appreciative feedback. That is without question something that I dislike. The other is that he, like hardly anyone else, tries to rule the world with 140 characters from the 'Twitter window'. And that's something we should think about."

Getting to the heart of the matter

From this point of view, says the communications expert, it is worth trying to separate the threatening from the useful: "Once the fear of the content of provocative statements is set aside, a lot can be learned from it purely in terms of communications technology. After all, the point is to get to the heart of the matter. This initiates the discussion. 140 characters are enough to make the news, whether positive or negative. Or, in a less spectacular way, simply into the conversation. Packing important statements into 140 characters on Twitter is certainly not always right - especially when it comes to global interests. But the art of being able to do it is important! This ability is still not really used well everywhere in modern society, business and the public sphere," says Stefan Häseli, who has been working on everyday communication for many years. "It is by no means evidence of superficiality to limit information to 140 characters. Rather, such a core statement must be formulated aptly. The situation is different, of course, when it comes to complex contexts. Anyone who masters the both/and is a 'commander in tweets'."

A quality that can be learned

What remains to be distinguished and differentiated is that a lot of junk is tweeted. Stefan Häseli: "Many of Donald Trump's posts also seem too ill-considered. But who hasn't sent a message themselves without thinking about what it could trigger? But there's just a difference between sending an unclear email to a good acquaintance and the world's most powerful man insulting a fellow official with nuclear weapons in the closet." Even if many things are not eaten as hot as they are cooked, as Stefan Häseli knows from his contacts with politicians: "Some things are done for the gallery. For example, when Donald Trump posts a Twitter message about Vladimir Putin, it may be that the personal conversation between the two has long since taken place and they know from each other very well what they really think." Which brings us full circle, the expert says: "Composing a message in a 140-character message is a quality that can be learned and is becoming increasingly important. But there is still and for the time being no substitute for the conversation. What's clear is that at the end of the day, even Donald Trump will be judged on actions, not his posts."

Recommendation by Stefan Häseli: Twitter as training

"Breaking down important key messages into 140 characters is hard work - but very educational. I did this recently in a presentation with the most important key messages:

• The world of communication is becoming more demanding. Communicating a lot on more media does not necessarily result in more content.
• In all the euphoria and in the maelstrom of networked thinking and holistic approaches: In the market, sales still have to be made.
• The way is the goal. That may be true most of the time. But let's not forget: a beautiful train is no use if it doesn't arrive at the station.
• What is needed are solutions to customers' problems, not just the results of studies and convictions of suppliers.

That was attractive for the audience and it helped me to deal intensively with the topic. So supposed superficiality can also be the result of depth."

About Stefan Häseli:

As an international speaker, Stefan Häseli encourages people to experience effective communication in everyday life in a fun way. To this end, he is the author of numerous books and well-known as an advisor on radio and TV programs. www.stefanhaeseli.ch

In 2016, insured persons reported 461,000 accidents to Suva, as the company shows in its latest figures. The number of occupational and non-occupational accidents remained slightly below the previous year: The approximately 178,000 registered occupational accidents and occupational illnesses fell by 1.1 percent, while non-occupational accidents fell by 0.5 percent to just under 264,000. In accident insurance for the unemployed, the accident figures rose almost in parallel with the increase in job seekers. The figures were communicated via press release on February 15, 2017.

In occupational accident insurance, the number of accidents has fallen continuously by a total of 5.5 percent since 2011. This is despite the fact that the number of full-time employees has increased over this period. The occupational accident risk (number of accidents per 1,000 fulltime employees) has also been decreasing for years, the company adds. Suva attributes this decline on the one hand to its prevention work in the area of occupational safety. On the other hand, high-risk activities are generally decreasing as a result of ongoing structural change - for example, due to the increase in automated processes, it adds.

Overall, Suva can report a good result despite higher costs: The insurance company incurred daily allowance costs of CHF 1.35 billion in 2016, 3.5 percent more than in the previous year. However, the average duration of daily allowance payments remained stable at around 40 days. The higher daily allowance costs are partly due to the fact that more cases were settled in 2016 (+2.6 percent), namely a total of almost 231,000 cases. The reason for this, according to Suva, is that in 2015 they switched to new software for settling claims. This changeover led to backlogs of work that could be worked off last year. This is now reflected in the figures. Furthermore, the daily allowance costs were influenced by the general increase in average wages and the increase in the maximum insured earnings as of January 1, 2016, Suva added.

Source: Suva

As a recent study supported by Matrix42, a provider of workplace management software, shows, Workplace Modernization is already advanced in 38 % of European companies. 10 % of companies are still at the beginning, every second company (52 %) is in the implementation phase.

Individual solutions are no longer enough

For European companies, digital transformation means making fundamental changes. While the goals of digitization vary - increasing agility, improving service quality, optimizing processes or promoting innovation - the central starting point for the changes is always the working environment of the employees. After all, employee performance is crucial in the digitized, international knowledge economy. Accordingly, three quarters of the IT and HR managers surveyed attribute great importance to the quality of the IT working environment for the success of the company. Workplace modernization is therefore a high priority in every second European company. However, individual solutions, such as equipping employees with mobile devices, are not enough to meet the requirements. What is needed are comprehensive digital workplace concepts that cover all aspects from procurement and operational processes to support and security.

Changing the investment agenda

Awareness of the importance of workplace modernization is not yet reflected in the investment agenda of the majority of companies. Current digitization initiatives are primarily aimed at improving interaction with customers, introducing Internet of Things infrastructures and Big Data solutions. Workplace modernization projects had been launched in the past primarily for efficiency reasons. Now, however, they are being focused on achieving various business goals. These include increasing employee satisfaction and supporting collaboration and innovation. At the same time, they must meet the highest security requirements and address cost-efficiency issues. "The time when it was sufficient to introduce new end devices or new applications is over. Companies' ambitious digitization goals can only be achieved with modern, integrated IT workplace environments. An increasing number of companies will therefore align their budgets accordingly and look to the market for suitable, holistic solutions with which these goals can be achieved while at the same time providing professional operation and service, including a high level of user orientation and (data) security," explains Oliver Bendig, CEO of Matrix42.

Country comparison shows large differences

When it comes to workplace modernization, companies in European countries are at different stages of progress. French companies are the frontrunners when it comes to workplace modernization, while German companies, for example, are lagging far behind when it comes to workplace transformation. And what about the digital workplace in Switzerland? Nadia Bischof, Managing Director of the Alps region at Matrix42, explains: "We can see from the number of inquiries that companies in Switzerland and Austria are also intensively dealing with workplace modernization and looking for solutions. Our local teams support customers and prospects in planning and implementing their individual Workplace concepts and see that it is not easy for those responsible to keep the balance between requirements and budgetary and resource restrictions."

Source: www.matrix42.com

Several organizations of people with disabilities will address the topic of mental crisis - ways back to work on Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Forum in the Pfalzkeller in St.Gallen. According to Prof. Dr.med. Wolfram Kawohl, Chief Physician and Head of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Psychiatric Services Aargau - he is present at the forum - it is possible to continue working despite mental illness in many more cases than previously thought. The field of application can be changed to create a better fit between employee and workplace.

Mental crisis: what to do?

There is uncertainty all around. The person concerned is afraid of losing his or her job, the supervisor is afraid of bringing up a sensitive topic, the therapist is afraid of violating confidentiality. The IV is often wrongly perceived as an adversary instead of a partner. A conversation can go wrong - but usually does not. But if you don't talk and the employee really has a problem, it will go wrong in any case.

How have employees with a mental illness managed to return to work together with their employer? Practical examples with participants present, together with expert advice and experiences from the audience, show the ways of return. The panel of experts consists of job coaching, psychiatry, occupational integration IV, law and insurance.

Register now

For the ninth time, the St.Gallen Forum in the Pfalzkeller is dedicated to the topic of work integration of people with a disability. The event is aimed primarily at employers from regional SMEs. At the aperitif, representatives of all organizations and the experts will be available to answer participants' questions. The forum is organized by Profil Arbeit & Handicap, Obvita, dreischiibe, Procap and Suva, and supported by the IV, SVA, the Employers' Association, Gewerbe St. Gallen, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and "Wirtschaft Region St. Gallen". The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Pfalzkeller. The forum lasts until 8 p.m.

Registration and further information on www.forumimpfalzkeller.ch

Swiss fintech company Avaloq's full-year revenue for 2016 was CHF533 million, up CHF10% from CHF485 million reported for the previous year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased by CHF41% to CHF82 million compared to CHF58 million in 2015, which was characterized by high upfront investments in new digital banking technologies, software as a service (SaaS) solutions and integrated business process outsourcing (BPO) offerings. EBITDA margin improved by 3.4 points year-on-year to 15.4%. The company reported strong cash flows with net cash from operating activities increasing by 100% to CHF 62 million and cash on hand increasing by 8% year-on-year to CHF 63 million. Net debt at year-end was 1.5x EBITDA.

"In 2016, we once again proved the attractiveness of our business model," commented Avaloq CEO Francisco Fernandez. "We saw strong revenue growth and increased profitability while continuing to invest in our offerings. Our transformation from a pure software company to a provider of integrated services is virtually complete and we are confident that our investments will pay off in 2017 and beyond. We intend to continue on the path to capital market readiness, which will also be reflected in greater financial transparency."

Avaloq continued to expand its business in 2016, investing in growth and acquiring six new customers, including Axion Swiss Bank, Arab Bank and Notenstein La Roche Privatbank. Liechtensteinische Landesbank, LGT Group and another large bank have decided to deploy Avaloq Banking Suite in additional international business areas. In addition, Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank (apoBank) and Avaloq signed a contract for a project to evaluate future cooperation. Implementation project activities remained at a high level: 28 projects were completed in 2016 with a successful going live. These include the successful migration of HSBC Private Bank, Crestone and Maybank Private Wealth to the Avaloq Banking Suite, as well as the implementation of new digital solutions for several existing clients, according to the company.

Avaloq's customers include financial institutions and asset managers from around the world, who together manage assets of over CHF 4,000 billion with Avaloq solutions. Thanks to its growth, Avaloq has been able to create additional jobs and now employs people from 66 nations.

To the corporate website

Lidl Switzerland, which was ranked for the first time ever last year, is now at the top of the list of part-time employers with 1838 part-time positions advertised. Over the course of 2016, these were Part-time career.ch around 154,400 times. Three companies from the healthcare sector follow at some distance. (Zurich University Hospital, Hirslanden Private Hospital Group, Insel Gruppe AG) Manor (1207), last year's winner, can no longer hold its own at the top and slips to fifth place. Around 330 fewer part-time positions were advertised here than in the previous year. Aldi Suisse (1102) is also unable to maintain its very good positioning from the previous year and now occupies 6th place. The city of Zurich (1094) improves by 14 places to 7th place, followed by the canton of Berne (1084), which loses 6 places. Credit Suisse (1037) defends its strong positioning and ranks 9th. SBB (681) occupies 10th place.

Promoting diversity in companies

The city of Zurich, this year for the first time in the top 10 of part-time employers, was the second Swiss city to launch an action plan for gender equality in 2009. Due to the positive results, the equality plan is now in its second term. Ursula Hess from the Human Resources Management of the City of Zurich explains that "the realization of equal opportunities for women and men in the company as well as the promotion of flexible working time models is a central point of the personnel policy of the City of Zurich. New positions to be filled are explicitly advertised for both genders and each with 80-100%. Accordingly, every time a job is advertised, it is checked whether positions can also be advertised with a part-time degree." The aim of these measures is to increase the proportion of the underrepresented gender to 35 percent, particularly in management positions. In most cases, the proportion of women is too low here. The city of Zurich employs over 28,300 people, of whom around 59 % work part-time. 44 % of women and 15 % of men work part-time.

Number of part-time positions on the rise

A very pleasing trend emerges when comparing the number of advertised jobs in the top 10. A significant increase in the number of advertised jobs can be seen. While there were around 8700 in 2015, there are already around 12,000 part-time positions in 2016. Teilzeitkarriere.ch lists 15,00 advertised part-time positions on the Internet every day, and the trend is rising. This is a clear sign and confirms once again that many company managements are already rethinking how to meet the demands of changing social values. The trend is toward flexible, individual and mobile working time models.

Part-time employers: up and down the ladder

Solothurner Spitäler AG is the climber in 2016. With 108 places gained, it is in position 70 in the ranking. On the other hand, UBS AG also makes a considerable leap. With 101 well-made places, it now ranks 20th. Zurich Insurance Switzerland also delivers a very good result with 71 places gained; it currently occupies 15th place. The BIT - Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication - continues its high flight from last year (improvement +48 places) and improves again by 49 places to rank 31.

Charles Vögele Mode AG can be described as the relegated company in 2016, losing 51 places and now ranking 89th. The company's continuing loss-making business and the resulting store closures are certainly one reason for this. The department store chain Globus AG is also struggling with the difficult market situation in the retail sector. It has lost 32 places and is now in 60th position in the current ranking.

Industries under the magnifying glass

Retail, public administration and healthcare are the most strongly represented industries in the 2016 ranking of the 100 top part-time employers, an identical result compared with the previous year. A trend is emerging in the service sector. Here, interest in part-time positions seems to be growing; at any rate, significantly more companies are represented in the Top 100 Part-Time Employers ranking in 2016 than in the previous year. This year's ranking was newly categorized into 3 industries and a separate top 20 industry ranking was created. The healthcare sector is the most strongly represented sector in the Teilzeikarriere.ch ranking. Zurich University Hospital and the Hirslanden private hospital group share first place in the industry ranking, with Insel Gruppe AG close behind. Luzerner Kantonsspital and Spitex Verband des Kanton Bern follow. In the services/public facilities sector, the city of Zurich is ahead. The Canton of Berne and Credit Suisse AG follow in second and third place, while SBB, the Canton of Zurich and Zurich Insurance Switzerland take fourth to sixth place. In the retail sector, Lidl Switzerland leads the ranking, followed by Manor and Aldi Suisse. Aldi Suisse was overtaken this year by competitor Lidl. Migros, the largest retail company in Switzerland, takes 4th place in the industry's internal ranking of part-time employers, overtaking competitor Coop (5th place) for the first time.

Andy Keel, founder of Teilzeitkarriere.ch, notes that the first large companies (including Swiss Post, Swisscom, UBS, SBB) are systematically advertising positions with an 80-100% workload or in job sharing. "In addition to the improved reach in job recruitment," Andy Keel points out, "the internal impact is even more important. Thus, there is a reversal of the 'burden of proof' for line managers. Now a manager has to argue why it has to be a 100% job." This is leading to a culture change. First, it paves the way for a greater percentage of women in higher, skilled part-time positions. It leads to more part-time men and more employees in part-time retirement positions. On the other hand, it increases the attractiveness for Generation Y and Z in the labor market.

The top 50 part-time employers:

For a mass dismissal within the meaning of the law, the number of terminations in relation to the size of the company is primarily decisive. In companies that usually employ between more than 20 and less than 100 employees, at least ten terminations are required for the mass dismissal rules to apply. In companies with 100 to 300 employees, at least ten percent of the workforce must be affected by the dismissals, and in companies with more than 300 employees, 30 or more dismissals constitute a mass dismissal.

In addition, the dismissals in question must be made within 30 days for reasons unrelated to the personality of the employees concerned. This means that only dismissals due to economic, technical or organizational circumstances are taken into account. Dismissals due to insufficient performance or undisciplined behavior are not included in the calculation. If there are mixed reasons for dismissal, the decisive reason must be identified in the event of a dispute.

Important: In the case of cessation of operations as a result of court decisions, as well as in the case of dismissals in bankruptcy or in the case of a composition agreement with assignment of assets, there is no mass dismissal within the meaning of the Code of Obligations. Other regulations apply.

Inform and consult employees before mass dismissal

If a company plans to make a large number of redundancies, it is essential to clarify in advance whether a mass redundancy is involved. If this is the case, the relevant provisions of the Swiss Code of Obligations must be complied with.

The following applies: Before the employer definitively decides on a mass dismissal, the employees must be consulted in good time. For this purpose, the employee representation or, if there is no such representation, the employees must be informed directly and appropriately about the reasons for the mass dismissal and the number and period of the planned dismissals. A copy of this notification must be sent to the cantonal employment office.

The employer must also give the employees the opportunity to submit proposals as to how the dismissals can be avoided or limited or their consequences mitigated. In this consultation procedure, the employees must be given a sufficiently long period of time. The employer is at least obliged to seriously consider the proposals. However, it is not necessary to give detailed reasons for rejecting them.

The obligation to inform and consult the workforce also exists if the mass dismissal has been decided by a foreign parent company without the influence of the Swiss subsidiary. In Switzerland, the Swiss subsidiary is the formal employer and in this capacity must comply with all legal obligations.

Information from the Labor Office: Start to the 30-day minimum notice period.

In addition to the initial employee information and after the employee consultation has been carried out, the employer must notify the relevant employment office in writing of the intended mass dismissal. A copy shall be sent to the employees or their representatives. The notification must contain the results of the employee consultation and all relevant information on the mass dismissal. The employees may also submit their comments to the Labor Office. The Labor Office is not required to verify whether the consultation procedure has been complied with. However, the Office shall, by law, seek solutions to the problems posed by the intended mass dismissal.

Important: An employment relationship terminated in the context of a mass layoff shall in any case end at the earliest 30 days after notification to the employment office or, in accordance with the contractual provisions, on a later date.

Obligation for a social plan

Companies with usually at least 250 employees that plan a mass dismissal of at least 30 employees within 30 days are obliged to draw up a social plan with the employee representatives. This sets out the measures to be taken to avoid or limit the redundancies or to mitigate their consequences. The subjects of the agreement are often internal job placement, customized outplacement including training, courses and further education, early retirement or severance payments.

Sanctions for employers in case of non-compliance with mass dismissal rules

If there is a mass dismissal and the rules of the Code of Obligations are not complied with, this has noticeable consequences for the employer at fault. According to Article 336 of the Code of Obligations, any dismissal that takes place in the context of a mass dismissal covered by the law without consulting the employee representatives or the employees is abusive. Any employee affected who raises an objection to his or her termination in good time is then entitled to a maximum of two months' salary. In addition, failure to report the dismissal of more than ten employees can be punished with fines of up to CHF 40,000.

Assemble a project team for mass redundancy

With regard to a mass layoff, it is advantageous to assemble a project team. In addition to management representatives and experts in the fields of law, tax, insurance and communications, this team should include a specialist for personnel issues in times of change. This is because a planned and necessary mass layoff is associated with considerable risks for the future of the company. In particular, unnecessary costs must be avoided.

The consequences of reputational damage and the negative impact on the morale of remaining employees associated with productivity losses are often underestimated. It is therefore important to organize and implement mass redundancies as smoothly as possible. The choice of the most suitable personnel measures for the benefit of the affected and remaining employees plays a key role.

Caroline Pfeiffer Marinho is Country Manager Switzerland at Lee Hecht Harrison in Zurich.

EOTEC AG in Muttenz is one of the leading Swiss companies in the fields of Video security, Communication systems, Media technology and IT Media. Stefan Schröder, the company's founder and CEO, looked back on the company's successful history as it celebrated its 33rd anniversary and said he was convinced that after more than three decades it was time for a breath of fresh air in the sails. "As a boss and as the captain of a ship, you have to be able to let go," he said. "You cannot set a new course and head for new destinations by holding on, but only by letting go."

Schröder has now handed over operational management to Martin Hänggi, who is to steer the EOTEC ship full steam ahead into the future and to new shores. The new Chief Operation Officer (COO) has already been with the company for years and is very familiar with today's market environment as well as EOTEC's corporate culture. "As an IT specialist, he brings exactly the training that is needed for such a task today," says Schröder. "He belongs to the upcoming generation and speaks the language of future customers. Moreover, he is characterized by his willingness to recognize and absorb new developments in good time."

In his speech, Stefan Schröder held that the world is becoming more exciting and challenging with increasing digitalization. "In order to keep up with the market, you have to constantly adapt and innovate as an SME," he said, symbolically handing over a ship's steering wheel to Martin Hänggi, with which he is to keep EOTEC always on the right course. Stefan Schröder will remain operationally involved in the company as Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO. He compares his new role to that of a foreign minister who looks after the external stakeholders - first and foremost, of course, the customers.

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