Online Sessions

Kick-off: How to Navigate DE&I and Wellbeing in the Workplace Today

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander and Caroline Creven Fourrier | 10:00 – 10:30 | online | German

The topics of diversity, inclusion, fairness, belonging and health have rarely been discussed as controversially as in recent months. Despite the existence of clear empirical evidence, emotionally charged topics frequently encounter difficulties. How do companies deal with these challenges? Where do they hold on to values? Which topics remain, which are pushed into the background? How do they convince and communicate internally and externally? These questions will be addressed by Caroline Creven Fourrier, PhD, Chief Inclusion and Belonging Officer, Roche Group, and Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander at the kick-off event of the 9th DE&I Week.

Are Women-Only Programmes Useful?

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander and Sebastian Kubik | 10:30 – 11:30 | online | German

• Do women-only programs still make sense today? If so, under what conditions?
• What needs to be considered when implementing them?
• What impact can they achieve?

Menstruation, Maternity, & Menopause, Oh My! Latest Evidence and Best Management Practices

Prof. Dr. Jamie Gloor and Eugenia Bajet Mestre | 14:00 – 15:00 | online | English

Physiological changes at different life stages can affect women’s employment and leadership. But despite their being very common experiences, many employees—and leaders—do not fully understand these changes or their implications for modern workplaces. We will discuss the latest science on how women’s reproduction, motherhood, and health-related transitions influence teams, performance, leadership, and careers. In particular, we will focus on how coworker, leaders, organizational policies and practices can reduce the taboo, support and include women across these diverse life and career stages.

We Take Care: Promoting Diversity, Strengthening Health

Sereina Wüst and Aurelia Adamo | 17:00 – 17:30 | online | German

Together, we will take a look at unconscious biases, which often influence our behaviour and decisions unnoticed – and show how DE&I & health management can be successfully implemented using two specific practical examples of burnout and bereavement. How do these topics complement each other and what does this mean for concrete implementation in the company?

Mental Health Disorders Around Birth – Is the Swiss Labour Market Prepared?

Andrea Borzatta and Christina Fischer | 9:00 – 9:30 | online | German

The study by the non-profit organization Periparto Switzerland (formerly Postpartum Depression Switzerland) reveals that 3 out of 4 affected individuals received little or no support from their employers during this critical time. This lack of support often results in prolonged absences, high resignation rates, and significant costs for employers. And yet, most of these conditions are treatable with appropriate help.

Christina Fischer, Head of Workplace Initiatives, and Andrea Borzatta, President of Periparto Switzerland, present the study’s findings and offer insights into their work.

Wellbeing Through Leadership: Male Managers Between Shaping and Blocking

Dr. Gabriele Schambach and Martin Speer | 10:15 – 11:45 | online | German

Wellbeing & health is by no means exclusively in the hands of each individual person. There are many more social and organisational conditions that enable or hinder this. Managers play a decisive role here: they are the mediators of a corporate culture that can move between hierarchy and authority as well as participation and equality – and which has gender implications across the entire spectrum.

Men have a different approach to Wellbeing & Health than women: The body is seen as a machine that has to function, you grit your teeth and give it your all, weaknesses are rarely shown and prevention is pushed aside. The (still predominantly) male managers carry this understanding into their field of work and shape the culture of cooperation, the criteria for performance and promotion, the image of leadership, the understanding of strength and weakness – and thus also have an influence on the well-being and health of employees: So how can we achieve (more) Wellbeing & Health and what can (male) managers contribute to this?

In this online session, Dr Gabriele Schambach and Martin Speer will share their insights and experiences from practice and science. We want to discuss these questions with you and find – new – answers.

Preventing Mental Health in Immigrants – Social Safeness at the Workplace

Prof. Dr. Susanne Fischer | 14:00 – 15:00 | online | German

Immigrants have a significantly increased risk for mental health problems. One of the most frequently discussed reasons is so-called “minority stress”. This includes racial or ethnic discrimination (e.g., physical violence, bullying). However, more recently, new evidence that social safeness plays a key role in minority mental health has emerged. This is defined as being connected, included, recognised, and protected.

The online session will briefly outline this shift from excess stress to a lack of social safeness in explaining immigrant mental health before discussing interventions to prevent mental ill health in immigrants in the workplace.

Sourcing with Heart: How Inclusive Procurement Fuels Wellbeing and Thriving Communities

Andrea Fimian | 17:00 – 17:30 | online | English

In this session we will delve into the benefits of inclusive procurement practices which have been shown to yield greater cost savings and more innovation for organizations.

The discussion will center on how strategies like supplier diversity and inclusive sourcing can enhance wellbeing by supporting vulnerable groups and promoting equitable economic growth.

Practical steps for integrating these methods will be outlined, emphasizing effective engagement with diverse suppliers and community development initiatives. By exploring these approaches, attendees will gain insights into how inclusive procurement can not only improve financial outcomes but also contribute positively to social and economic equity.

This session aims to equip participants with actionable strategies to implement inclusive sourcing practices within their own organizations.

My Leadership Perspective on DEI and Wellbeing as a Trans Woman

Dr. Christina Henkel | 9:00 – 9:30 | online | English

This session offers personal insights from my experience as a leader — before and after my transition from male to female. This had a substantial impact on my personal leadership journey and how I further developed my leadership model. It was frightening to recognize my own unconscious biases.

By being true to myself, I not only enhanced my own wellbeing but also had a significant positive impact on my environment. My energy and happiness in being myself generated demand from organisations to work with me and made me a more effective leader.

Hide or Speak? Creating a Safe Space for Open Conversations on Invisible Health Impairments

Dr. Mahshid Khademi | 10:15 – 11:15 | online | English

Globally, around 1.3 billion people live with chronic health impairments and disabilities — roughly one in every six people (WHO, 2022). Yet many of these conditions remain invisible in the workplace unless individuals choose to disclose them. Disclosure of an invisible disability is complex. While it can lead to positive outcomes, such as access to workplace accommodations and support, it also carries the risk of stigma and discrimination. Employees may fear being seen as less capable, less productive, or hired only to meet diversity quotas.

In this session, we will explore the challenges employees face when disclosing a health condition, the strategies they use to navigate this decision, and how managers can foster an inclusive culture that supports open dialogue and psychological safety.

Inclusion and Wellbeing in the Home Office: Recognising Opportunities, Managing Risks

Dr. Florian Krause | 14:00 – 15:00 | online | German

Working from home has become an integral part of many modern working environments, promising opportunities for inclusion and wellbeing, but also posing new challenges and risks. The presentation ‘Inclusion and wellbeing in the home office: recognising opportunities, shaping risks’ asks how this balance can be achieved.

The session raises awareness and provides impetus for companies to find suitable solutions for their specific needs.

Gender Intelligence Report 2025

Dr. Ines Hartmann und Alkistis Petropaki | 16:00 – 18:00| hybrid | English only

“Diversilience”- How Diverse Teams and Inclusion Promote Resilience and Well-Being

Michel Rudin and Stefan Gal | 9:00 – 9:30 | online | German

Wellbeing has many different dimensions and characteristics and some of these also have a direct connection to diversity, equity and inclusion. Other influences, such as the increasingly fast-moving world of work, the rapid pace of technological change or the very high competitive pressure and the associated ever-increasing pressure on employees and thus on entire teams and organizations, require ever greater resilience. In addition, belonging to a team or an entire organization is one of the foundations for coping with these challenges and an important prerequisite for the mental health of each individual. How do these issues interact and what can we all do to promote inclusion and well-being and thus positively influence mental health?

Inclusion Journey:  A Data-Driven Approach to Onboarding Employees

Tarek Carls | 10.15 – 11:15 | online | English

One year ago, we launched the project Inclusion Journey to explore what drives a sense of inclusion during the onboarding process. As part of this initiative, we closely followed a cohort of apprentices throughout their first year on the job.

Using a combination of daily, monthly, and yearly surveys—including both closed and open-ended questions—we collected in-depth data on how participants experienced inclusion and well-being over time. Their responses offer a unique longitudinal picture of how inclusion unfolds during onboarding.

The findings provide valuable insights into how organizations can create onboarding environments that boost performance, support mental well-being, and improve talent retention. In this session, we’ll share the most interesting and actionable insights from this study.