We are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment, says the director of Cycle Employer 2024

This year’s National Cycle Employer was the Jesenice company Ferring-léčiva, a.s. When we went to interview its director Vadim Lukaševič, the first thing that surprised us was the location of his office right behind the reception of the building where the company is based. “My door is open here and anyone can stop by and talk to me. That’s my philosophy,” he explained to us. And what have we learned about the company’s relationship to sustainability, transport and social responsibility? Read on.

What does the Cyklozaměstnatel award mean to you?

A great honor, honor and surprise. We did not strive for the title in any way, we participate in the May Challenge out of the enthusiasm of our employees, but we do not advertise it in any big way.

Do you motivate your employees in some way to participate?

Oh yes. Our colleague from the HR department takes it up every year and communicates the challenge to the company in such a way as to reach the largest possible number of employees and entice them.

The two e-bikes in the foreground are company´s own

Do you even have your own competition?

Every year we try to come up with a prize, and every year we hold a so-called Ferring Day here on the meadow behind the campus. There we announce the winner and present the prize in a ceremony. This is the official end of the May Challenge. We appreciate teams and individuals. Our winner this year drove some 750 kilometers. Again, we value teams based on regularity, not distance. And there were those who cycled to work every day, in any weather.

In front of the entrance you have a nice bike rack with tools. What else do you provide for cyclists?

The stand has a relatively new roof, which many of our people appreciate. They didn’t want to leave their expensive bikes in the rain and sun, so they took them to the office. So we reacted to it. We also wanted to attract more people than just die-hard cyclists. There are 200 of us and roughly 40 of our employees are participating in the challenge. So the potential is still great. My vision is to park more bicycles than cars. We therefore also purchased company e-bikes, which employees can also use for personal purposes. So that those who are still hesitant can try how pleasant it is. Showers are a matter of course. Another thing we want to introduce next year at the latest is the Kolo na operák. Which is the name of the company with which we have connected and we want to buy bicycles for our employees at a discounted price not only for commuting to work.

From the title Cyklozaměstnavatel Bike to Work 2024 they are happy at Ferring-lečiva

Why is it important to you as a company that people cycle to work?

It is a belief in a more sustainable form of transport. Ferring is globally committed to supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. From a global point of view, we are among the branches that are the furthest in sustainability. Starting with the photovoltaics we have on the roof of the building, to the company cars that have been exclusively electric for several years now… And we are still looking for more ways to reduce our impact on the environment. And since we still see a lot of private cars with internal combustion engines in our parking lot, a bicycle in combination with public transport seems to us to be the perfect means of transportation. Most of our employees live nearby and, with a few exceptions, it is not far from work.

Do you also observe any influence of sustainable transport on, say, the well-being of your employees?

I believe that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. And I feel it myself. Statistically, the age of our employees is getting higher, so we are getting older. At the same time, we have a very low turnover rate of less than 1 percent. The same employees are here with us who were at our establishment 30 years ago. In order to keep fit, something needs to be done. We support an active lifestyle and this year we have the Fit Ferring program, in which we educate our employees on how to sleep, eat and exercise well. The call to work by bike fits in with our beliefs.

Mr. Lukaševič’s wish is that even more people commute to work by bicycle

So you set an example for them yourself…

Not as often as I would like, but I ride my bike to work.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to making it look like in Copenhagen, for example?

This is a good question that I often ask myself. It is said that the problem is mainly infrastructure. It’s true that when we announced that we had become Cycle Employer of the Year, our global colleagues immediately asked how we ensure the safety of our employees’ journeys to work. And since each of them goes elsewhere, we simply don’t know the answer to that question. Another thing is building some good behavior patterns. We have forty employees who ride regardless of the infrastructure and they can gradually infect others. When go forward to them, even if only with a gesture.

What should the gesture look like?

For example, we will offer them Kolo na operák, participation in the challenge and also the opportunity to see that those who ride a bike are fit, in a good mood and having a good time.

What is the best argument you would use to convince me why to go for it too?

It is fun.