Migros diversity in numbers
Celebrating diversity at Migros
With 97,727 employees in over 100 companies, Migros Group takes diversity to heart. The current numbers.
Inclusion
A man with an iron will
After suffering an accident, René Hübner had to start using a wheelchair, but he adapted to his new situation and now works as a forklift operator for Migros.
Everything is in motion in this huge warehouse, where trucks can constantly be seen stopping at ten different ramps. The trucks are bringing used packaging material from Migros supermarkets across Eastern Switzerland – massive stacks of cut-up cardboard boxes and countless empty PET bottles that customers have returned to recycling stations.
Men on forklifts pick up the material and move it to the powerful presses that compress it into enormous bundles weighing several tonnes. The cardboard and PET are then transported to recycling plants by train.
The dire consequences of a good deed
We are at the Migros Eastern Switzerland operations centre in Gossau, St. Gallen, where René Hübner has been part of the waste disposal team for three years. Not long after he was hired, the athletic 48-year-old was already able to skilfully guide his forklift through the hustle and bustle of the warehouse. You would never know that he's paraplegic – the result of an accident some 20 years ago.
The trained butcher and forest warden travelled to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands to enjoy a few days of relaxation. He was relaxing by the hotel swimming pool when he suddenly saw a boy go under the water and not come back up. Hübner ran over to help immediately. But he slipped and fell head-first into a shallow pool, hitting his head hard on the bottom.
The boy was okay, other people came to his aid in time. But Hübner broke his seventh cervical vertebra in the accident, leaving him paralysed and unable move his legs. He underwent his first operation on the neighbouring island of La Palma, followed by 50 more procedures in Switzerland.
A lot of people might despair after experiencing suffering like this as a result of a good deed, but Hübner never lost heart. He dedicated himself to his training with the physiotherapists. "I'm a fighter," he says. "Giving up is not an option for me."
A familiar feeling
Then, six years ago, something wonderful happened – the feeling in his legs returned. Hübner could stand up using crutches and was even able to walk short distances over time. Professionally, he wasn't as lucky. Hübner did find work from time to time, operating packaging machines or working as a warehouse clerk, but there were always periods of unemployment. "During one of these periods, I sent out about a hundred applications," he recalls. "But I was never even invited for an interview. Everyone was put off by my disability."
Migros Eastern Switzerland finally gave him a chance. "I applied to Röbi Zwingli, the former head of the waste disposal centre, as a forklift operator," says Hübner. "On the phone, I told him that I was both willing and able to do this work. He listened to me, welcomed me, and after a few trial days, I had the job."
Last October, Hübner suffered a serious setback. He tripped over his wheelchair in his apartment, broke a lumbar vertebra and ended up on the operating table once again. At the moment, he's on sick leave, but he has a clear goal. "I want to work at the waste disposal centre again. I need the stability that this job gives me." He sounds determined. And it's clear that he will succeed.
Stories from our work environment
Whether at a desk, in a store or in a laboratory – our work environment is diverse, just like the people behind it. Discover their stories.
All Stories
Asperger’s autism
“I see all errors as though they were glowing”
Barbara Infanger is 43 years old and is doing an apprenticeship as a logistician at Migros Verteilbetrieb AG in Neuendorf. She has Asperger’s autism and explains how this can actually often be a benefit during her everyday work.
From Syria to Switzerland
The Denner store as a classroom
Raparen Mohammad risked her life to escape from Syria. She now works at Denner in Rapperswil, where she is the assistant store manager.
Refugee learns how to be a baker at Jowa
Refugee learns how to be a baker at Jowa
Syrian refugee Fuad Asaad works at Migros’ bakery arm Jowa, where he is training to be a baker. We show how he makes croissants, Wähe tarts and Linzer torte.
Work environment
Fourteen questions for a butcher
Marco Eisenlohr from Micarna explains what he loves about his job and the prejudices he has to contend with.
Working world
Looking for an apprenticeship?
How do young people get their dream apprenticeship? How important are grades? An assessment.
Professions in the Migros environment
“We’re the guardian angels working in the background”
IT specialists Thomas Staub and Thien Nguyen ensure that the heart of the retail world beats in time. This means going to some surprisingly damp places.
Store manager
Everyday life as a store manager
Brendalee Salazar Piretti is store manager at Lutry La Conversion in Canton Vaud. Whether it’s product displays, managing her team or dealing with unexpected situations, her days are always busy.
A store manager’s everyday life
“I often feel like a football coach”
Yves Brunner manages the Migros supermarket in Affoltern am Albis. He gives us an insight into leading an 80-strong team and tells us what his typical working day involves.
Migros employee
What is it like to have worked at Migros all your life?
Brigitte Schalch had her first day at work over 48 years ago – and now it's her last. Why she always stayed and how often she asked: "Have you got Cumulus?".
Apprenticeship with F status
«The apprenticeship is my chance to show that I've integrated»
Mohammad Yusufi (23) fled from Afghanistan as a teenager. He is now doing an apprenticeship at the Migros company Delica – even though he has only been temporarily admitted to Switzerland.