The Power of We Starts with You – Resilient Together: How Wellbeing and Inclusion Empower Everyone
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Like many companies, ABB Switzerland previously viewed employees with health limitations from a deficit perspective. The specialist unit well@work (formerly “adapted activities”, later “stay at work”) aimed to change this and holistically empower employees. A lack of awareness around mental health and the need for cultural transformation revealed the need for a new understanding of resources to unlock potential.
well@work launched the Icebreaker initiative, in which employees openly discuss stress and mental health challenges in video clips. A Wellbeing Roundtable brings together managers, peers, and employees from different backgrounds and perspectives. Together, they develop best practices to promote wellbeing. This fosters greater awareness of inclusion and improves employee wellbeing – building a resilient health culture.
Two surveys using the Inclusion Barometer by the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St. Gallen show rising inclusion scores. In international comparison, ABB Switzerland achieves top results on inclusion in its Engagement Survey. Other companies confirm: Openly addressing mental health, as done in the Icebreaker initiative, is a milestone for cultural change – and sadly still unimaginable in many workplaces.
This Best Practice was first published in the Gender Intelligence Report 2025.
The shift from “Disability” to strength-focused “Ability Management” in health promotion – away from a medical paradigm and towards a “from me to we” approach – demands deep cultural change. As with any transformation, resistance arises. Challenges include prejudices (e.g., dismissing it as a “wellness strategy” or “fluffy thinking”), the need for stronger management commitment, and the ingrained habit of investing primarily in occupational safety rather than holistic wellbeing. Until now, health promotion mainly focused on teaching behavioural rules rather than involving employees in developing solutions.
By 2030, we aim to establish an integrated wellbeing and inclusion system with clearly defined KPIs. One ambition is to reduce absenteeism through resilience workshops and peer support in a 1:200 ratio. Additionally, leadership assessments will require inclusion of goals related to strength-based leadership and wellbeing. In the annual global ABB Engagement Survey, ABB Switzerland aims to consistently achieve ≥ 85% positive responses on psychological safety (“openly talk about challenges”) and an average wellbeing score of ≥ 4 out of 5.
Our approach is based on a proactive, holistic wellbeing concept that strengthens mental, physical, social, and financial resources preventively. The Icebreaker campaign encourages employees and managers to speak openly in short videos about sleep disorders, anxiety, and stress – a lever for de-pathologising and promoting psychological safety. The well@work team develops tailored offerings that highlight strengths rather than manage symptoms. ABB’s 2024+ Wellbeing Roadmap is built on five pillars: Icebreakers spark conversations about stress; Trialogues strengthen leadership; Inclusive work design enables participation; Team job crafting encourages skills and innovation; Roundtables provide dialogue and networking. In addition, Mental Health First Aiders provide crisis support, and social counselling addresses social or financial concerns.
The Power of Us starts with You
ABB Switzerland measures effectiveness through feedback and data. The Inclusion Barometer from the University of St. Gallen’s Center for Disability and Integration gauges how inclusive the work environment feels – via self and external perception. The two-time participation shows employees increasingly experience inclusion as tangible, supportive, and credible – with a clear rise in the “Feeling of Belonging”. Parallel to this, ABB Switzerland recorded a 3% year-on-year increase in inclusion scores in the 2024 Engagement Survey (with 83% participation). Visible formats like Icebreaker videos, peer Ability Managers, and the cross-departmental awareness campaign WellComeTogether strengthen psychological safety and belonging. Communication strategies are built on visibility, storytelling, and active involvement. Inclusion thus becomes the foundation for long-term health, motivation, and employee retention.v
Diversity, equal opportunity, and wellbeing are core components of ABB’s culture. As a founding member of Advance – Gender Equality in Business, ABB promotes women in leadership through mentoring programmes. Employees connect via diverse Employee Resource Groups, and awareness training fosters an inclusive environment. Flexible work models help balance professional and personal life. ABB Switzerland also offers attractive benefits: in-house childcare facilities, Christmas bonuses, above-average holiday allowances, health promotion, social counselling, and a Volunteer Day for community involvement.
For more information about this Best Practice, reach out to the author:
Susanne Wipf-Ernst
Head of well@work ABB Switzerland
susanne.wipf@ch.abb.com
Nicole Kamm-Steiner
Country HR Manager ABB Switzerland
nicole.kamm-steiner@ch.abb.com
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