Sozial-Holding Mönchengladbach wins BGM Prize for Diversity and Health!

Sozial-Holding Mönchengladbach wins BGM Prize for Diversity and Health!

At the “Company Health Management” congress in Cologne, the social holding company of the city of Mönchengladbach was awarded the German BGM Promotion Prize 2025. Dr. Ute Wiedemann, board member of the DAK, honored the winners and paid particular attention to innovative concepts for company health management (BGM), which aim to improve structures and promote the health of employees. They received the award, worth 30,000 euros, for a diversity-sensitive WHM that is specifically geared to the needs of women and employees with a migrant background. The DNBGF has also pointed out this topic in its extensive work on diversity and health in companies, which offers important insights into practice and shows how diversity can be implemented in health management.

The social holding company has been active in geriatric care for over 25 years and can look back on a workforce of 747 employees, 82% of whom are female. Many of these women have a migrant background, which makes the company's goal of strengthening the mental and physical health of underserved groups all the more important. The second prize went to the University Medical Center Göttingen, which expanded existing health structures to include a gender-sensitive perspective with its project “Strengthening women's health - gender-sensitive health promotion”. Kontron Solar from Memmingen received third prize for their “Solar Minds” project, which combines solar technology with AI-supported health promotion.

Funding and jury selection

During the award ceremony, the winners not only received recognition, but also financial support. In addition to the social holding company, the Göttingen University Medical Center and Kontron Solar received 20,000 euros and 10,000 euros, respectively, for their WHM measures. Small businesses were also recognized, including e-koris GmbH from Friedberg, the family cooperative of the regions from Münster and UseTree GmbH from Berlin. These companies were each awarded 10,000 euros in kind. The award-winning projects were selected by an independent jury of experts chaired by Dr. Ute Wiedemann met.

WHM is not only a central topic for the DAK, but is also becoming increasingly important in the corporate landscape according to numerous studies. The focus on diversity in the workplace plays a crucial role. An inclusive WHM, such as that implemented by various large companies in Germany, promotes the health of all employees regardless of origin, gender or age. The DNBGF highlights the importance of taking into account the specific needs of different groups and creating agile, flexible solutions.

Diversity in company health management

A holistic view of WHM must take into account the diversity of employees. Companies like Siemens and BASF already have numerous best practices that show how multilingual information offerings or barrier-free digital health platforms respond to the individual needs of employees. Regular needs analyzes and open communication are crucial in order to continuously optimize the offerings and break down barriers. Another important aspect is the legal framework that must be taken into account in Germany through laws such as the General Equal Treatment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

A well-thought-out WHM that integrates diversity not only brings benefits for employees, but also increases motivation and reduces absences due to illness. Companies thus invest in the well-being of their employees and their long-term satisfaction. Health promotion for everyone, regardless of personal background, is not just a supposed fad, but a real success factor in everyday work.