Exercise and Health Programs for a Healthy Workforce
VULKAN is committed to health and safety at work as well as employee interests. This makes VULKAN not only a reliable and attractive employer, but also a driving force and active shaper of the future of its own workforce. In order to build up health resources within the company and reduce stress, but also to promote cohesion within the workforce, VULKAN offers a wide range of sports and health activities: They range from taking part in running and rowing events, participating in and holding soccer and cricket tournaments, in-house massage and mindfulness offerings to providing our own sports facilities and fitness equipment at individual locations. Here are a few examples:
If you exercise a lot, you are doing something good for your body. Because only with sufficient activity can the normal function of the musculoskeletal system and many vital organs be maintained. General well-being and the psyche also benefit from exercise. “Joint sporting activities also promote internal networking and cohesion within the workforce,” Sebastian Meise, CEO of the VULKAN Group, is convinced.
This is one of the reasons why he himself regularly laces up his running shoes when VULKAN Germany takes part in the Herne St. Elisabeth company run. The last time 50 runners wore the blue VULKAN jersey was in 2024. Two of the VULKAN teams even successfully emerged from this competition with a place on the winners' podium. In preparation for this sporting event, the VULKAN running group met every 14 days in the Herne city park to hone their coordination, fitness and running technique under the guidance of running coach Uwe Palm (Director Sales Industry and Energy EMEA). In 2025, VULKAN Germany will once again train for the local event and compete with various teams.
Employee Run for Mental Health at VULKAN do Brasil
At VULKAN do Brasil, employees and their families were also out and about in running gear when the Internal Commission for Accident Prevention (CIPA), in collaboration with the Occupational Health and Safety Department of VULKAN do Brasil, invited employees to a run on September 22, 2024 under the motto “Every step counts”. The event was part of the “Yellow September” awareness campaign, a month that draws attention to suicide prevention and the value of life. The employees and their families, including 23 children, took part in the event on a Sunday morning, walking or jogging a distance of three or five kilometers through the streets of Itatiba, Brazil, to show their support for this campaign. In addition to the run, the program also included stretching exercises. There was also the opportunity to try post-workout products.
“For the participants, it was an easy and positive experience that highlighted the importance of taking care of each other and our mental health,” concluded Adriana Belmiro Da Silva, Managing Director of VULKAN do Brasil.
“Of course, the Yellow September message doesn't just apply to us as an employer this month. The mental health of our employees and colleagues is an important issue that deserves our constant attention. If we look out for each other, together we can make a big difference for everyone,” she says.
Sports and Leisure Facilities at the VULKAN Site in India
Like soccer in Europe, cricket is a popular sport in India that is close to many people's hearts. To motivate employees to exercise more and promote cohesion among the workforce, VULKAN Technologies Pvt. Ltd (VTI) has therefore opened its own BOX cricket pitch as a workplace-related health and leisure facility on the factory premises in Pune in 2023.
VULKAN Technologies Pvt. Ltd (VTI) had already organized many cricket tournaments for the employees in the past. However, the VULKAN subsidiary never had its own cricket field on site where people could play and practice their batting and bowling skills. It was therefore decided to create a BOX cricket pitch on the available grass area. Employees can play this popular sport there after office hours.
“The aim of building our own cricket pitch was to encourage employees to be more physically active, thereby improving their general health and reducing the risk of illness. Of course, there should also be fun and a sense of community,” said Rajesh Mishra, Managing Director of VTI, at the inauguration ceremony.
In addition to an in-house cricket pitch, an open-air fitness area and a fun zone for employees, VULKAN India even opened its own multi-sports ground in November 2024. At the opening ceremony, which was also attended by CEO Sebastian Meise and Managing Partner Sebastian Hackforth, Managing Director Rajesh Mishra emphasized the common goal of the sports and leisure facilities on the Indian factory premises to offer employees leisure opportunities after work to promote a healthier and more productive lifestyle.
Stress Management and Mindfulness Programs
To raise trainees' awareness of topics such as stress management and mindfulness, as well as exercise in everyday working life, VULKAN Germany organized a trainee health day for trainees of all age groups at the in-house Hackforth Academy on the factory premises in Herne in 2024 together with the commercial health insurance company Kaufmännische Krankenkasse (KKH).
What does stress mean and how do you deal with it? How can you counteract negative stress and what options and techniques are there to help you relax in stressful everyday life? These and other important questions were on the agenda at the event.
“However, the topics of stress management and mindfulness are not only important for our trainees, but for all employees. That's why they are also part of the Hackforth Academy's ongoing range of seminars,” says Katharina Rein, HR development expert at VULKAN.