Eleven years ago, 59-year-old John Geo Johansen suffered an occupational injury when he fell out of a forklift at his job in Sanistål. Today, he is employed in a flexible job for 15 hours a week at Sanistål's central warehouse in Billund, where he packs items in small bags and applies labels.

“It means everything to me that Sanistål has retained me in the company. And even though I live in Viborg and therefore have to drive 160 kilometers to get to and from work, I would be sad to be without my job at the warehouse.

Even though I still have pain, I have a good work life. It happens that I have to call in sick due to pain. But I am not looked down upon for that reason. I have been treated well and with respect, and throughout, I have only encountered understanding managers,” says warehouse worker John Geo Jansen, who will soon celebrate 35 years at Sanistål.

Right now, 34 employees with reduced work capacity are employed at the central warehouse under different arrangements. The warehouse collaborates, for example, with the flexible job consultant from Billund Municipality; some apply for a flexible job themselves, while others have been relocated to jobs with accommodations because they can no longer manage the harder physical work at the warehouse.

One of them is 37-year-old Nanna Vibe Møller Bredahl, who was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of six and now has psoriatic arthritis with several accompanying conditions.

“The alternative is early retirement, so my flexible job of 12 hours a week in the service center of the central warehouse is invaluable to me. Here I am not Nanna, who has arthritis, but the employee Nanna. If I have a bad day, I call my boss, and typically we agree that I will work a couple of extra hours another day, but I also have the option to work from home.

I greatly appreciate the trust and understanding I encounter from both my colleagues and immediate supervisors, and that Sanistål sees me as valuable labor. It's not a hassle to have employees with flexible jobs. Here at Sanistål, it runs smoothly, and it has from day one,” says customer supporter Nanna Vibe Møller Bredahl.

The 34 employees with reduced work capacity are distributed across the 55,000 square meter central warehouse, and one department has only flexibly employed workers.

“In general, for all the employees, even though they face many challenges in their lives, they are stable and loyal, and not least grateful to come to work. They are also really good at covering for each other if someone is having a bad day.

If an employee is assigned to a job with a number of hours that we can see the person can no longer handle, we engage in a dialogue with the employee and possibly the municipality to adjust the hours,” says Operations Manager Sine Solhøj Hansen, continuing:

“It requires flexibility and a bit more management time to properly care for each employee, and we have a team leader who is passionate about making it work. But we get back at least as much as we give.”

On Tuesday, September 27, the Ministry of Employment hosted a nationwide conference in Copenhagen on late disability, and Sanistål was invited to participate in a panel debate alongside Danish Crown & Salling Group on how companies can retain employees with disabilities. “One of my main messages was that right now, when many companies are lacking workforce, it is important to remind that there is a large group of people who cannot handle a full-time job but can work 9, 12, or 15 hours. They cannot pick and choose on the job market, but like most of us, they need the identity that comes with having a job. At Sanistål, we have focused on inclusivity and diversity for years, and our experience is that although these employees may be vulnerable and carry a heavy burden, they are highly motivated and engaged. But it requires that as a company, you see the person behind the diagnosis and start from what the individual can contribute,” says Director of People & Culture Svend Pedersen

Svend Pedersen, Director of People & Culture, phone: 22 74 68 91

September 28, 2022