Else Züblin-Spiller founded the non-profit organisation «Schweizer Verband Soldatenwohl» (Swiss Association of Soldiers’ Welfare) in 1914. Her aim was to provide inexpensive and healthy food for soldiers in alcohol-free soldiers’ parlours, and she later introduced staff restaurants and moved into business catering.

Free consultations were organised and based on the principle of «helping people to help themselves». The primary aim was to foster people’s own initiative and to only provide support in the form of money or food in genuine emergencies. Wherever there were pressing concerns: the welfare pioneer knew what to do. She advised on health and housing issues, insurance matters, and simple legal cases. She built up a network of contacts with authorities, welfare institutions, doctors, schools and priests. Budget and parenting advice, as well as guidance on household management, were also part of the service. For there was a great need to catch up on home economics and educational knowledge – especially among those women who had married young as factory workers.

The welfare worker also organised mothers’ evenings and free knitting, sewing and dressmaking classes. As a result, the women learned to make linen and clothes for themselves and their children. Word of the project’s success spread and it set a precedent. More and more companies began offering their workforce the opportunity to seek advice from the external welfare office instead of bottling up their frustrations and anger. From 1942 onwards, some companies began to form groups in order to collectively use the service. The model of an inter-company counselling and welfare office made it possible for three to ten companies in a region to join together to form a community of interest.

The first welfare and counselling company in Swiss industry celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1972. It was a time of general prosperity. The shortage of labour seemed to ensure employment and a livelihood for everyone. Social work in companies changed during this period from material welfare to more therapeutic and socio-political counselling. The pioneer, who passed away in 1948, must have taken great satisfaction in the development of corporate welfare. More and more companies provided their employees and their families with an external social counselling service. This was anything but a matter of course and was due to Else Züblin-Spiller’s perseverance.

The basic concept of corporate social counselling didn’t change much in the following years. But the demand for the service did. As a result, we were able to open additional regional offices under the new company name Movis from 1999 onwards. In the course of time, the focus of the counselling services evolved to the personal, occupational and health problems of the people seeking advice. However, financial issues such as budgeting, debt or social security were also on the employees’ minds. At our counselling centres they received professional support and practical tips quickly without any bureaucracy.

Change is the only constant; the focus is on the clients with their social environment and workplace. Else Züblin-Spiller firmly believed in the individual’s ability to develop. So do we. We’ve been improving the performance levels and well-being of people in the workplace for nearly a century.

Movis stands for counselling, development, change, history and constancy. Helping people to help themselves has always been the motivation behind employee counselling at Movis. Today and in the future.