Health at work. Rethinking time, spaces and leadership to turn prevention into care

In an era of acceleration, uncertainty, and hyperconnectivity, health is no longer an additional welfare benefit: it is the infrastructure of quality work. In its 2025 Our Impact Plan, KPMG Italy shifts the focus from individual benefits to the design of workplace environments: preventing risks, certainly, but above all promoting care, sustainability, and inclusion. The message is clear: prevention is a process, not a project.

The central question is how organizational models, workloads, leadership, time, and workplace environments affect health. KPMG recognizes that professional services are characterized by periods of intense activity and responds with genuine flexibility and a well-established smart working model, training on time management, and employee surveys that inform targeted action plans. The objective is not simply fewer working hours, but higher-quality time, with the right to take breaks and engage in deep, focused work, while empowering managers to plan sustainable workloads. Workplace environments themselves become a driver of well-being: the company’s new Milan headquarters in Torre Gioia 20 was designed to LEED Platinum and WELL Gold standards, featuring natural light, comfort, collaborative spaces, and accessibility solutions that reduce stress and foster meaningful connections.

Mobility is also part of the equation. Commuting plans, public transport contributions, discounted and installment-based transit subscriptions, and a fleet that is now 47% hybrid all contribute to reducing the burden of travel. Less stressful commuting means lower physical and mental strain and more personal time. Within this framework sits TakeCare, the umbrella campaign that brings everyday prevention to life. Designed specifically for the workplace, it combines health literacy, life-saving skills, and targeted screening initiatives. Developed in partnership with healthcare organizations such as Humanitas, AVIS, and local Red Cross associations, the program is accessible both in person and online.

Its activities have included pediatric airway obstruction and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training sessions, skin mole screening initiatives, and prevention-focused webinars, alongside programs dedicated to posture and ergonomics and nutritional education initiatives such as Veganuary. The added value of TakeCare is twofold. On the one hand, it brings practical measures into the workplace that reduce common risks and strengthen employees’ confidence in managing their own health. On the other, it democratizes access by offering modular content that can be replicated across different offices and accessed by employees regardless of schedules or job roles. The campaign also activates broader organizational levers: content on digital hygiene and micro-breaks supports conscious disconnection practices, while posture-related modules complement workplace design strategies and the adoption of layouts that encourage movement and postural variation.

Creating environments that do more than simply prevent discomfort means addressing physical health, mental well-being, and community at the same time. Sport is treated as a form of social care: through initiatives such as Run with KPMG! and charitable tournaments, thousands of people have run, played, supported nonprofit organizations, and, most importantly, reduced the isolation that often weighs heavily on mental health. Families are also at the center of the company’s approach, through financial support provided by KPMG 4 Family for children aged 0–5, “Kids at the Office” initiatives, charitable summer camps, and parental leave policies that are fully accessible and communicated transparently. In fact, 342 employees made use of these parental leave benefits.

Inclusion is measured through certifications such as ISO 30415 and UNI/PdR 125, awareness campaigns addressing language and unconscious bias, protected reporting channels such as the KPMG Hotline, and employee evaluation processes that include objectives related to psychological safety and workplace climate.

Three key ideas summarize KPMG’s workplace health strategy. First, organizational models are themselves a tool of preventive medicine: designing flexibility, workloads, schedules, and workspaces can influence health just as much as a screening program, and TakeCare serves as the practical bridge between organizational policies and everyday behaviors. Second, a culture of care extends beyond well-being alone: sport, volunteering, and family-focused initiatives create a sense of belonging and help protect employees from burnout, while turning prevention into a shared habit. Third, welfare can only be truly inclusive when it is accessible: universal protections, targeted support measures, and safe reporting channels reduce inequalities in access, while programs such as TakeCare bring health and well-being directly into the daily work experience of all employees.

Ultimately, transforming prevention into care means making work a place that not only prevents harm but actively generates health for individuals, communities, and the organization itself. KPMG Italy demonstrates that this is achievable when leadership is fully engaged and outcomes are consistently measured.