Germany: new initiatives to facilitate compatibility between work and family life

Demographic pressure, output and shortage of labour. "In Germany, the question of conciliation between work and family life is more and more discussed within companies, for demographic and labour management issues, but also because more and more studies and examples show the amazing benefits that a welcoming company can draw and when it integrates this dimension in its social policy", explains Stefan Becker of the initiative "Beruf und Familie" (work and family). Indeed, the fall of costs related to the limitation of arrival and starting flows of employees in a company (lower expenses for recruitment and training for newcomers) largely compensates the expenses due to the adaptation of the working conditions or the creation of a kindergarden in the company. In addition, the study "Women Matter", presented by the Mc Kinsey agency in October 2007, establishes the bond between co-education of the employees and dynamism of the company. Whereas in Europe only 11 % of the management staff of companies are female, companies whose direction is made up of at least 30 % of women, arrive first for financial output. Partner of the contest, the initiative "Beruf und Familie", financed by the Hertie foundation, one of the largest German private foundations, proposes since 1999, an audit awarding a certificate of "Best practise" valid for three years: "It is still difficult to estimate the level of implementation of these measures to the whole of the German economy. We only know that during our first business year, we carried out twenty audits per year. But since 2006, the request strongly increases. In 2007, we issued 210 certificates for a total of more than 500 ", specifies Mr. Becker.