The certification for Top Employer by an independent institute is an honor. It demonstrates the company’s commitment to its employees and its exceptional human resources policies.

How Johnson & Johnson obtained a certificate in Switzerland

For the third time in a row, the sites in Switzerland have been certified as Top Employer for 2022. And they even continued to improve over the last few years.
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«We are Johnson & Johnson»

Johnson & Johnson has 4,400 employees in Switzerland alone. Ten of these explain why they decided to join this employer. 
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The commitment of the staff

Based on the Credo of the company’s promise, Johnson & Johnson developed a corporate culture that focuses on values, such as social commitment, diversity, health, and sustainability.
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Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland

Johnson & Johnson has been represented in Switzerland for more than 60 years - today at nine locations in eight cantons.
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J&J Top Employer
J&J Top Employer
J&J Pride Day
J&J Locations

How Johnson & Johnson obtained a certificate in Switzerland

The honor of being a Top Employer is the result of an extensive and voluntary certification process. For the Human Resources (HR) team of Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland, this is an opportunity to clearly communicate their plans and objectives internally and externally and update them, if necessary.

Johnson & Johnson has done it twice already in Switzerland, and now it is official: The company has been certified as Top Employer for the third time. In addition to Austria, South Africa, Spain, Greece, and Turkey, the national subsidiaries in Switzerland are among those that chose to be screened by the globally acting “Top Employers Institute”, which evaluates the fulfillment of exceptional job conditions and certifies the company in the event that it qualifies. Loes Bresseleers, Head HR Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland, is justifiably proud to have achieved another outstanding result and comments: “It shows that we are on the right track with our HR strategies, policies and practices. I am even more proud that we have learned from past results and that we have improved year after year.” 
Loes Bresseleers
“The Top Employer certification shows that we are on the right track with our HR strategy.”
Loes Bresseleers Head HR Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland
Top Employers

This distinction has to be earned

But what does a Top Employer certification mean? Why does Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland agree to face such a complex audit process? Ultimately, this distinction has to be earned. The experts of the “Top Employers Institute” evaluate 20 topics in six business segments, including talent strategy, the quality of onboarding, leadership development, but also the work environment, the wellbeing at work, and issues concerning ethics and integrity. Every company that accepts this challenge is required to answer 400 questions and document its HR processes based on strategy papers. Once everything is submitted, the “Top Employers Institute” will conduct a direct hearing and the responsible members of the HR Team must agree to an audit and answer critical questions.
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The experts of the “Top Employers Institute” examine 20 topics in six business segments.
Interview with
Loes Bresseleers
Head HR Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland
Petra Hemann
“The report of the Top Employers Institute allows us to compare ourselves to the global benchmarks and provides valuable input for further improvement potential.”
Petra Heimann HR Leader MD Commercial Switzerland
For the third time, Petra Heimann, HR Leader MD Commercial Switzerland, has closely supported the process in Switzerland for more than a year. She says that it is “an extensive process where hundreds of questions have to be answered”. The Top Employers Institute weighs the answers based on globally applicable reference values. According to Loes Bresseleers, the goal is “to determine if we are able to offer our employees the best possible work environment”. She adds that as a result, the company is pursuing an ongoing improvement process to adapt to social changes and keep the company’s values current. “The report of the Top Employers Institute allows us to compare ourselves to the global benchmarks and provides valuable input for further improvement potential”, says Petra Heimann.

5,200 hours

are volunteered per year by Johnson & Johnson employees
USD 1.6 billion

contributions for charitable purposes

External view of daily practices

Johnson & Johnson, according to Loes Bresseleers, strives to offer a diverse, equitable, respectful, and inclusive environment. “We want to promote and advance careers.” To achieve these objectives, the teams have to be equipped with the appropriate tools. This is accomplished by intensive and recurrent training, courses and programs. For the HR executive, the certification process is “an important external view of our daily practices”. 
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It is also important that the work is meaningful and that the job matches one’s own personal values.


Before the turn of the millennium, employees may have been satisfied with average working conditions. Recent studies from business consultants, such as Deloitte, Randstad and Universum indicate that this is no longer sufficient to hold on to the best employees. Scientific papers prove that competent leadership is very important to employees and that the responsibilities must be clearly defined. It is also important that the work is meaningful and that the job matches one’s own personal values. Social acceptance counts just as much as a diverse environment and an intact work-life balance.
Established in 1886 in the USA

with 14 employees
4,400

directly employed staff and contractors in Switzerland
41,400 jobs

are supported jobs by Johnson & Johnson in the Swiss economy
130,000 jobs  

offered by Johnson & Johnson worldwide
60 countries

with J&J sites
265

production plants worldwide

Meaningful work is important

The Head of HR, Loes Bresseleers, additionally noted that employees want to be proud of their employer: “Particularly during the uncertainties of the pandemic, we found that the values that are outlined in our "Credo" provide guidance.” Or in other words: employees looking for a meaningful job today expect more from their employer than a competitive salary and a standard pension fund.

“We are Johnson & Johnson”

Johnson & Johnson has 4,400 employees in Switzerland. A total of 130,000 are working in over 265 subsidiaries located in 60 countries. The vision they all share is to make people healthier.

“We benefit from the advantages of a global group of companies and we still manage to be agile.” This is how Corinne Koenig sums up her experience at Johnson & Johnson Zug. The communications professional is the Head of Marketing and Business Development Orthopedics at DePuy Synthes in Zuchwil. Her colleague Andrea Galli, Director Global Digital Strategy at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Allschwil, originally comes from the food industry and his whole world changed when he joined Johnson & Johnson: “Today, I see a purpose in what I do. If I do a good job, the patients will benefit.” For Daniel Rosenberg, Senior Director Epidemiologist at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Allschwil, the company even goes a step further: “Johnson & Johnson not only helps the patients, it is also here for the employees.” Marike Hempel appreciates her employer’s support where family planning and work-life integration are concerned. She is responsible for Switzerland Health Economic and Market Access at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices and is currently expecting her third child.

Because of all this and much more, 4,400 individuals are working for Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland, an employer that builds on and consistently upholds its values. This is one of the reasons why Floris Zaadnoordijk, Maintenance Manager at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Schaffhausen, decided to join the company last year: “When I look for a job, the company’s culture is something that counts.”
“Regardless of whether physical or mental health is concerned, it is important that the employees are feeling well.”
Corinne König
“I am pleased that I am able to actively contribute to the positive culture.”
Cheyenne Haas
“The strong team spirit is what fascinates me about Johnson & Johnson.”
Floris Zaadnoordijk
“I have a great job! I am helping to link doctors and patients together.”
Andrea Galli
“I was really impressed how Johnson & Johnson integrated us into its corporate culture.”
Daniel Rosenberg
“Being a parent gives me a certain skill set. Maybe that’s why it’s so difficult to bowl me over.”
Marike Hempel
“Johnson & Johnson offers many benefits, but you have to make the most of them and know where to find them.”
Lucy Petrolo
“I’m a team player and this is why Johnson & Johnson is the right place for me.”
Alessandro Rosa
“Every day, this company works toward its goal to help people. This is what gives my job a purpose.”
Jasmina Musovic
“I was able to integrate very quickly and I feel like part of a family.”
Florian Kress

Employee Engagement

Das Engagement der Mitarbei-
tenden 

Working at Johnson & Johnson also means being committed: The company and its employees satisfy their social responsibility at many different levels.

Health and Wellbeing
Health, and this includes the employees, of course, is a key topic at Johnson & Johnson. All companies offer a wide variety of programs to support the staff in achieving a good life-work balance, whether this is related to nutrition, sports activities or support during emotionally stressful times.
Gillian Gil Operational Lead Switzerland Johnson & Johnson Global Health Services
For Johnson & Johnson, the Credo, or the company’s promise, is much like a moral compass. It was authored in 1943 by Robert Wood Johnson, former Chairman and a member of the founding family. Since then it has been repeatedly refined and updated to reflect the latest social developments. “This Credo is always present in our day-to-day work,” says Loes Bresseleers, Head of Human Resources at Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland. Values, such as responsibility to others, the environment, and consideration, respect and fairness are ingrained in the company’s DNA. Johnson & Johnson has always enforced and practiced diversity and gender equality among its employees and it also takes its responsibility to society seriously. This is not merely lip service. It is demonstrated by social commitments outside the company as well as internal activities relating to diversity and inclusion, sustainability, the health and wellbeing of the staff, and questions of equality and professional support. All of this is embedded in the corporate culture.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
The goal of Johnson & Johnson is to promote diversity: All of the company’s employees should feel comfortable and be able to grow without prejudice, regardless of where they come from, what color their skin is, or what their religion or sexual orientation is.
François Ekane Financial Analyst und Lead Network EMEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
This is how a work environment was created that is mindful of all those involved and that requires respectful social interaction – and the work continues to evolve to further improve all of these issues. For example, François Ekane’s main profession is Senior Financial Analyst, but he also acts as Lead Network EMEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion for the Middle East. François works toward the acceptance without prejudice of skin color, gender and social background and that “each individual and their qualities is a priority”. This is why Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland is a supporter of the Pride Parade and also backs the LGBTQ+ community and others.

Returning to work after maternity leave

Re-Ignite
Pregnancies and child care can stop the flow of a professional career. The Re-Ignite program of Johnson & Johnson provides employees with the opportunity to reintegrate into the work life after a break, even of several years.
Zoe Lawson Senior Scientist Large Drug Molecule Platform Global Technical Operations Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
Gender equality has been a major topic for a long time. Programs have been launched, such as “Re-Ignite”, to help employees who wish to return to work after maternity leave. In 2021, Johnson & Johnson received the “Career Empowerment Award” from the University of St. Gallen for its program “Woman back to Business”.

Obviously, such engagements also have a positive effect on the results of the Top Employer certification. As an example, in the segment “Connecting Elements” Johnson & Johnson fulfills 95 percent of the standards the institute has specified. “The inclusion of all individuals in our activities, regardless of religion, skin color or social background, is a priority for us,” says Emelie Dorlin, Senior Manager Community Impact of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Switzerland. The Business Management graduate initially joined the company as a Global Marketing Specialist, but she was so fascinated by J&J’s social engagement that she chose to contribute her skills to this endeavor. 

Emelie Dorlin
“The inclusion of all individuals in our activities, regardless of religion, skin color and social background, is a priority for us.”
Emelie Dorlin Senior Manager Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson Zug 
François Ekane
“My goal is to help our children to live in a world without prejudice.”
François Ekane Financial Analyst and Lead Network EMEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
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Values, such as responsibility to others, the environment, and consideration, respect and fairness are ingrained in the company’s DNA.

Field work for a good cause

Community Impact
In Switzerland, Johnson & Johnson invests in partnerships with charitable institutions, including the Red Cross, the Zuwebe Foundation and the Special Olympics. The company encourages and supports the employees’ voluntary participation in a social engagement project.  
Emelie Dorlin Senior Manager Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson Zug
Emelie Dorlin is currently responsible for Johnson & Johnson’s collaboration with charitable organizations, such as the Zuwebe Foundation (assisting people with disabilities), the Swiss Red Cross, the WWF, and the Special Olympics. In September of every year, during the annual Community Week, all Johnson & Johnson employees also have the opportunity to personally and actively support external charitable organizations. They can choose to lend a hand to the athletes in the Special Olympics, do field work for Zuwebe, or spend a day helping out in a retirement home. This promotes solidarity, expands the horizon and creates a positive feeling of belonging. The goal is to establish a culture that benefits all, because diversity also means a broader knowledge base for the company and a booster for innovative strength. Johnson & Johnson’s Executive Chairman Alex Gorsky puts it in a nutshell: “Our employees reflect the world’s full diversity of individuals, opinions and approaches.”

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Diversity also means a broader knowledge base for the company and a booster for innovative strength.
Sustainability
In terms of sustainability, Johnson & Johnson has set goals for the coming years. At all sites and in every country around the world, employees from the “We sustain” groups are working together to push this agenda forward.
Frank Plessers Principal Project Engineer at Johnson & Johnson / CEO at futureproof
J&J is also innovative in terms of sustainability and climate protection. By 2025, the company intends to obtain approximately 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. By 2030, it plans to be carbon neutral and reduce emissions by 20 percent. One who advocates the transition to a sustainable future within the company is Frank Plessers, Lead Sustainability at Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Schaffhausen. He is in charge of the local “We sustain” team, a global network where employees of Johnson & Johnson work together to implement best sustainability practices in the entire company and heighten the coworkers’ awareness of this necessity.

By 2025

all electricity used in worldwide operations will be generated from renewable energy sources.
By 2030

all Johnson & Jonson operations will have become climate neutral.

The Credo as a comprehensive foundation

Loes Bresseleers
“This Credo is always present in our day-to-day work.”
Loes Bresseleers Head HR Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland
For Petra Heimann, HR Leader MD Commercial Switzerland, it is clear that the Credo is firmly “embedded in the mindset of the employees”. Worldwide, Johnson & Johnson employs a staff of more than 130,000, “and they all feel that they are part of the big picture in a corporation that accepts responsibility,” says HR Lead Loes Bresseleers. The Credo of Johnson & Johnson is the foundation for this.

Johnson & Johnson Credo

The Johnson & Johnson Sites in Switzerland

Johnson & Johnson has been represented in Switzerland for more than 60 years - today at nine locations in eight cantons.

The presence of Johnson & Johnson in Switzerland began in 1959 with the acquisition of Cilag AG in Schaffhausen. Since then, the country in the heart of Europe has become an important location of the globally operating business. As a result of other acquisitions and the establishment of branches of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, the enterprise now has 4,400 employees at nine different sites in Switzerland.
Pharmaceuticals
Medical Devices
Consumer Health Care
UNSER FUSSABDRUCK
In drei Geschäftsfeldern in der Schweiz aktiv
Source: Economic Footprint Switzerland Report 2020