Family-Friendly University

On June 15, 2020, Mainz University of Applied Sciences was honored with the “
” audit certificate as a family-friendly university. This recognition of the university’s strategic efforts to improve family-friendly working and studying conditions took place for the first time in the 22-year history of the “audit” program as part of an online certification event, at which Mainz University of Applied Sciences was represented by Vice President Prof. Dr. Anett Mehler-Bicher. Among those offering congratulations were Oliver Schmitz, Managing Director of berufundfamilie Service GmbH; John-Philip Hammersen, Managing Director of the non-profit Hertie Foundation; and Federal Minister for Family Affairs Dr. Franziska Giffey, who serves as patron of the audit. Mainz University of Applied Sciences had previously successfully completed the audit dialogue process, which is open to employers
who have been pursuing a strategically designed, family- and life-stage-conscious human resources policy through the audit for at least nine years. The university was first awarded the audit certificate in 2004; until now, the certificate has been valid for three-year terms. After five re-audits, the university has now completed the dialogue process, which is recognized with a certificate of permanent validity. The audit is offered by berufundfamilie Service GmbH, which will schedule another dialogue process in three years to ensure the quality of the certificate. The goal of the dialogue process is to maintain the high standard of the family- and life-stage-conscious personnel policy and to leverage the potential for optimization in selected areas. 410 employees and 5,500 students at Mainz University of Applied Sciences can benefit from the family-friendly measures. The program currently includes: individualized childcare options and emergency care, temporary work-from-home arrangements to facilitate childcare, financial assistance and exam accommodations for students with children, and a wide range of counseling and networking services. Plans include introducing additional support for caring for family members (so-called “elder care”), further improving counseling and information services, and evaluating all measures. “Valuing family responsibilities in and of themselves and supporting them in every way possible is the indispensable foundation for true gender equality,” said Prof. Susanne Reiß, Chief Equal Opportunity Officer and audit project manager at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. The web-based event was dedicated to a total of 334 employers—134 companies, 164 institutions, and 36 universities—that had successfully completed the “audit berufundfamilie” or “audit familiengerechte hochschule” in the preceding twelve months. The “audit berufundfamilie” and the “audit familienbewusste hochschule” Applicable across all industries and organizations of various sizes, the audit assesses the current status of family- and life-stage-friendly measures already in place, systematically develops each organization’s individual potential, and ensures that family-friendliness is embedded in the organizational culture. Upon successful completion of this process, an independent board of trustees—composed of prominent representatives from business, academia, politics, and professional associations—awards the audit certificate. Since the audit’s introduction in 1998, approximately 1,800 employers have been awarded the certificate. Currently, a total of 982 employers are certified under the “audit berufundfamilie” or “audit familiengerechte hochschule” programs, including 467 companies, 413 institutions, and 102 universities. Approximately 2 million employees and about 1.4 million students benefit from these programs.

For more information, visit: www.berufundfamilie.de