Monographie Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

Dr Monika Küpper, Head of Personnel Development reports.
“We explain very clearly that family friendliness is a key value
for Reifenhäuser.”
This covers everything from a parent-child room in the company,
in which, apart from a fully-equipped workplace, there
also is a baby’s changing unit and play corner, right up to
special models for field sales personnel, where they can save
working time for a subsequent break or qualification measure.
What is more, Reifenhäuser offers every employee an
individually agreed solution, should time be required for ill
family members and those in need of nursing care – and
this covers everyone, from apprentices to top managers.
Steyler Bank GmbH from Sankt Augustin is also proud of its
family-oriented personnel policy. A core element in this
regard: employee retention during parental leave and
reentry. With the small company, with its 60 employees,
mothers and fathers take parental leave as a matter of
course. So as to retain their skilled members of staff, the bank
nurtures intensive personal contact with the parents.
The legal foundations for good re-entry are already determined
by the company before the employees go on
parental leave. The work is redistributed and delegated in a
timely manner. If this is not possible, the bank finds other
solutions, for instance in the form of temporary outsourcing
to an external service provider. During parental leave, the
impacted persons regularly visit their colleagues in the bank,
and also participate in events and the company’s Christmas
celebration. What is more, their employer keeps them up
to date regarding all important matters and invites them to
important strategy meetings. The personnel department
already starts with detailed re-entry planning six months
earlier.
A third example for family-friendly companies in the region:
Kursana Villa Bonn – Villa Camphausen. “We are delighted
about geriatric nurses who also take over a great deal
of responsibility at home”, emphasises the deputy direct,
Olga Frank. Nursing staff members with children benefit
from a grant for child care costs, in addition to the offer of
working part-time, having flexible working hours and wellbalanced
duty rosters. What is more, their children can eat
in the institution for a small charge.
The company, which belongs to Berlin-based Kursana
Seniorenvilla GmbH sees this as part of an appreciative
management culture that has the purpose of finding wellskilled
members of staff and ensuring that they remain loyal
to the company. Kursana also relies on further education
measures, prevention and health courses, flexible duty roster
organisation, and good development possibilities.
Assistance on the way toward family-friendly companies:
the offer by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
The examples demonstrate the diversity of family-oriented
company management in the region. Many companies
have long since embarked on this path; others are still at the
very beginning. When considering the small number of
employees, it is in particular smaller companies that often
have to find answers to the question as to who can provide
the required flexibility. The Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of
Industry and Commerce sees itself as a partner for these
companies that are on the path toward increased com -
patibility of family, nursing care and career. Alone and as an
actor in numerous networks, they support their member
companies with words and deeds.
It considers the compatibility of family, care and career an
indispensable component to secure the loyalty of skilled
members of staff. Thus it has bundled its experience and
expertise in the competence centre for securing skilled
members of staff. Their qualification consultants support the
persons who are responsible for personnel in the companies
in an entirely individualised manner and independent of
the sector and size of the companies or their experience
horizon.
Included among the information offers are personal consultation,
exchange in working groups and networks, checklists
and data sheets as well as comprehensive links to other
partners in the region, such as the alliance co-founded by
the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for skilled staff
members. By the way, it was distinguished as an “Innovative
Network” for its good work in 2014, in a nationwide com -
petition hosted by the innovation office for skilled staff
members for the region.
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