Seal of quality from the state: District is a family-friendly employer

The balance between private and professional life is becoming increasingly important - in childcare, in caring for relatives or in all the challenges of everyday life. The Waldeck-Frankenberg district attaches great importance to taking into account and taking seriously concerns around family-friendliness in the individual work situation - and has now been awarded the title of family-friendly employer by the state of Hesse for this commitment.

Family-friendly corporate culture
Prior to this, an agreement with common goals for further improving family-friendliness was drawn up jointly by different interest groups from the district administration. The concept was convincing and the application was successful. "In the coming period, we will successively implement the elaborated measures and goals," emphasise District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and First District Commissioner Karl-Friedrich Frese. "A family-friendly policy contributes significantly to a healthy work-life balance and can also help to attract and retain qualified professionals." At a time when competition for talented employees is intense, a family-friendly culture can be a decisive factor in attracting top talent and retaining it in the long term, he said.

Variety of new measures
Furthermore, a family-friendly working environment can promote diversity and inclusion by enabling employees to fulfil their family obligations. "In the district administration, we want to contribute even more to creating a positive working environment in which all employees feel valued and supported," emphasises Beate Friedrich, head of the Women's and Equal Opportunities Department at the district, which initiated and helped develop the certification process for the district administration and will continue to accompany it in the future. "To this end, different measures were developed in the team - from the establishment of care guides to the founding of a working group for the seal of quality to a further training programme forthe employees.

The district administration will start with the so-called care guides: in future, they will be available to all employees for advice on the topic of caring for relatives, and they will provide advice and support on how those affected can best combine caring for relatives with their professional activities. Furthermore, a working group on the topic of family friendliness will be formed, which will actively accompany the implementation of the target agreement and continuously develop it further. In addition, there will be a programme of events for employees - consisting of workshops and lectures on topics such as reconciling work and family life, time management in the home office, children in adolescence or old-age provision, pensions and retirement.

In addition to the new measures, the already established offers for improved family friendliness have also been incorporated into the concept - such as the possibility for district employees to have their children looked after in the day-care centre on Südring in the immediate vicinity of the district building and the new administration building. The same applies to the flexible working time models of the district, the company health management or the possibilities of mobile working, which the district administration has already been offering for some time.

Background:
The seal of approval stands for the claim to create the working conditions needed for every employee to perform at their best and at the same time enjoy their work. The award from the state of Hesse certifies exemplary departments and universities in Hesse that have set out to implement family-friendliness and flexibility in a guaranteed and consistent manner.

Keywords:

Quality Seal "Family-Friendly Employer" Specialist Service Women and Equal Opportunities Care Support Point