Talum, acting beyond company’s employees

Nominated for the 2019 #BeActive Workplace Award (awarded each year by the European Commission in the framework of the European Week of Sport), Talum is a Slovenian company specialized in aluminium. It encourages its staff (and their families) to be more active at work since 1998.

Louison Boussart-Turbet, Policy officer, Sport and Citizenship Think tank

As a modern company, Talum apply a sustainable approach both to its production and to the development of its employees. For more than twenty years now, Talum has implemented preventive and curative activities in the field of health promotion. Convinced that health is the foundation for good, successful life and work for each individual as well as for the organisation, the project Zdravo Talum has been included in the strategy of the company.

“A mental health programme”

Since 1998, activities have been constantly adapted to the trends in the country and in the world, and primarily according to internal analysis. Today, project activities’ are divided into several parts: preventive recreational activities (such as swimming, organised group workout, Pilates, etc.), preventive health activities (vaccinations, medical examinations, relaxation workshops, etc.) and constant education and informing of colleagues (regular column on the internal newspaper, posters, news on the intranet, etc.). Annually, they record almost 5000 swimming schedules, more than 340 fitness workout and more than 40 schedules of recreation in sports halls. Every September, the company organises the Talum’s Day for Health, which gathers more than 150 people.

More than acting for its employees, Talum includes family members in its activities, with the aim of strengthening the awareness on the active care for own in children. Each year, the company organises the “Drawing and Writing” action which is concluded with sport activities event for parents and children.

To get employees and colleagues participating in Zdravo Talum, the company has taken care of the planification of activities, which are adapted according to gender and different age groups. Activities are located close to permanent residence and do not cause extra cost. To convince more and more employees to participate, Talum tries to use different channels of communication, among which is the constant direct encouragement from employees who are actively participating.

Lately, the company has also added awareness and help in keeping mental health, by training promoters of mental health. Talum also offers online lectures and a free number for help, which is also for family members.