Ability-matched workplaces

It is the objective of the Volkswagen Group to ensure that employees unable to exercise their original profession following an illness or accident are reintegrated into the work process. This approach is especially important in view of demographic trends. The innovative integration management system of the Volkswagen Group lays the foundations for the reintegration of employees, helping to identify and create positions that are appropriate to employees’ ages and abilities. When planning new vehicle models and production processes, an interdisciplinary team of ergonomics, engineering and health experts is at work on integration management in cooperation with company doctors and Human Resources.

New roles
At Volkswagen, new roles for people affected by disabilities are identified by the programme “Work2Work”. Initially, medical tests are carried out to define the performance impairments suffered by the individual employee, then it is the turn of Human Resources. Often, the new job may have very little to do with an employee’s original training or discipline, but that is almost always an advantage. Many employees suffering performance impairments have discovered entirely new talents. For Volkswagen, this innovative approach, which concentrates on employees’ abilities instead of on their disabilities, has proved a resounding success. It achieves the objective of enabling employees with impaired abilities to apply their skills and experience to continue to add value for the company.

Benefiting from experience
The appropriate deployment of older people is just as important as the assignment of employees with impaired abilities to suitable tasks. The Volkswagen Group intends to make even better use of the skills and capabilities of this part of the workforce. For this reason, the company initiated a research project on work appropriate to employees’ age groups. Over a period of six years a new system was developed within the Group. This allows a precise analysis of the risks and stress factors associated with each workplace. This tool allows us to deploy people effectively in accordance with their individual abilities.

One recent example of the targeted deployment of older employees is the “SilverLiner” project at AUDI AG’s Neckarsulm plant. The company deliberately calls upon the experience of older members of the workforce for the complex assembly of the Audi R8. The work processes have been adapted to the needs of older employees. For example, much more time is allowed for a production cycle on an R8 than in normal mass production.