Long-standing commitment to work-life balance now expanded to include diversity
Work-life balance? When bremenports was awarded the berufundfamilie audit certificate for the first time in 2005, just three years after it was founded, flexible working time models and a family-friendly corporate culture were anything but commonplace in many companies. Now, the port management company has completed the audit, which takes place every three years, for the seventh time – and has expanded its long-standing commitment to work-life balance to include diversity.
“Confirmation of the berufundfamilie audit certificate” with the addition of “+diversity” can now be read on the official certificate, which was presented to bremenports employee Theresa Wintjen in Berlin by Oliver Schmidt, managing director of the berufundfamilie Service Gesellschaft.
“For us, this addition was simply logical: we want our entire workforce, i.e. all our colleagues, to feel comfortable and identify with the company. This requires, on the one hand, a family-, life-stage- and diversity-conscious, non-discriminatory personnel policy and, on the other hand, a corresponding corporate culture,” explains Martin Lipski, Head of Human Resources at bremenports.
Numerous activities already underway
In order to take into account the different needs of employees in the area of diversity, the certification process involved a series of workshops based on an employee survey, which were used to develop appropriate principles and recommendations. The resulting action plan—to which the works council and management have committed themselves—is now to be implemented jointly. In addition to the numerous activities already underway, plans include intergenerational exchange in the form of knowledge mentors or tandems bringing together older and younger employees, as well as life-stage-oriented information and counseling services.
Theresa Wintjen, who led the auditing process and the addition of the topic of “diversity” at bremenports, makes it clear: "For us, the expansion of our certificate was not about simply jumping on the ‘diversity bandwagon,’ but rather about recognizing and valuing all bremenports employees – regardless of where they come from, whether and what they believe in, regardless of their gender, sexuality, or age. The audit gave us all another opportunity to take a closer look at the issue and, above all, highlighted the opportunities that a diverse workforce offers."
Info: After bremenports became one of the first German companies to receive the nationwide “audit berufundfamilie” certification from the non-profit Hertie Foundation in 2005, the port management company has since achieved the highest possible audit level through several certification stages – and has now added the topic of “+diversity.” Further information on the audit itself can be found here www.berufundfamilie.de.
