Henkel: the German group banks on a work culture focused on performance, not the time spent in the office

An old tradition.  The group, which employs nearly 48,000 people in 125 countries, has been committed to families since… 1940! In the middle of the war, the company created its first corporate daycare center for single women working in its Düsseldorf site.  In 2008, it opened its second company daycare center, still in Düsseldorf, open to children from the age of 5 months.  A spokeswoman claims this new daycare center helped seriously decrease the duration of parental leaves taken by the employees: from about 3 years down to 1, in average.  She says this shows that many women wanted to get back to work faster.  She added: Henkel doesn’t want to force its employees to get back to work sooner, but give those willing the possibility of returning to the company earlier.  These daycare centers are only one of many “pro-family” measures the company took, which earned it several awards.  Thus, in May 2011, Henkel received, for the 3rd time, the prestigious “Employment and Family” prize awarded by the Hertie foundation, one of the most important private foundations in the country.  In 2008, the company was also one of the ten winners of the “Erfolgsfaktor Familie” award (see our dispatch No.  080460). 
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

e added: Henkel doesn’t want to force its employees to get back to work sooner, but give those willing the possibility of returning to the company earlier. These daycare centers are only one of many “pro-family” measures the company took, which earned it several awards. Thus, in May 2011, Henkel received, for the 3rd time, the prestigious “Employment and Family” prize awarded by the Hertie foundation, one of the most important private foundations in the country. In 2008, the company was also

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
Argentina: labour law reform debate kicks off
Argentina’s Congress has begun debating President Javier Milei’s highly contentious labour reform package, which includes proposals to scrap overtime pay, curb the right to strike and give...
3 February 2026
France: Uber ordered to pay €1.7 billion for undeclared work
According to the publication Revue21, the employer contributions collection agency (URSSAF) has sent a 142-page document to the ride-hailing platform Uber demanding the sum of €1.7 billion...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
France: Crédit Agricole to tighten remote work rules
Crédit Agricole is to adopt stricter rules on remote work from mid-March onwards. The rules will be tightened for employees, but the maximum number of days working remotely will remain unchanged.
2
2026 TRENDS – Pay transparency becomes a reality for European companies
mind RH is taking a look at the trends that will shape 2026. Many countries remain behind schedule in transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, leaving companies in a state of uncertainty as...
27 January 2026
3
TRENDS IN 2026 — Reducing workplace absence at all costs: a major challenge for Europe
Workplace absence is on the rise across Europe, particularly among women, older employees and, since the Covid-19 pandemic, young people under the age of 30. Faced with this growing problem, some...
14 January 2026
4
Vincent Lecerf (Orange): “Equality and diversity are competitive advantages for us”
Following the signing of a new agreement on professional equality and diversity in December, the chief HR officer of French multinational telecommunications corporation Orange Group, Vincent...
13 January 2026
5
France: transposition of the pay transparency directive takes shape
The transposition of the European directive on pay transparency into French law is entering a decisive phase. The Minister of Labour, Jean-Pierre Farandou, wants to present the bill to Parliament...
21 January 2026
6
France: ‘bonus-malus’ system central to talks over short-term contracts
French social partners opened talks on 28 January 2026 on the regulation of short-term contracts, marking the start of a negotiating process set to continue with three further meetings in March...
29 January 2026