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At the 26th award ceremony hosted by berufundfamilie, Anton Debatin GmbH was one of 306 organisations to gain official recognition for their family-friendly HR policies that take different phases of life into account. Melanie Wörner, Head of HR at Anton Debatin GmbH, explains why the Bruchsal-based packaging experts decided to undergo the workandfamily audit for the third time — this time together with the site in Hoenheim, France. “People are the most important asset a company has. Our job as an employer is to take care of our employees and make sure they can enjoy a healthy work/life balance.” To this end, Anton Debatin GmbH plans to continue introducing improvements to both its German and French sites over the coming three years. The company has already established a healthy foundation of family-friendly HR policies, so its next focus will be on culture and education. DEBATIN will be teaching its senior executives leadership styles that take different phases of life into account. The goal is for them to be more aware of the different challenges employees face as they move through different phases of life, so that they can respond adequately. The company also wants to raise more awareness in the DEBATIN workforce of the company’s corporate values and will be organising various events that bring these to life. “Last but not least, we plan to focus more on personal and professional development opportunities for our employees, with various courses and workshops for soft skills,” explains Melanie Wörner.

The workandfamily certification, which is seen as a strong hallmark of quality in the industry, was awarded to the company by Lisa Paus, patron of the scheme and also Germany’s Minister for Family Affairs. Afterwards, the company was congratulated by Oliver Schmitz, CEO of the audit company berufundfamilie Service GmbH, and Professor Helmut Schneider, who not only heads the SVI Endowed Chair for Marketing and Direct Marketing at Steinbeis University but is also a certification officer on the berufundfamilie board of trustees.

Lisa Paus praised the way in which the certified companies, institutions and universities take responsibility to help their employees enjoy a healthy work/life balance. “By doing so, they not only act as role models for employers in Germany; they also gain a competitive edge by being able to recruit the best skilled professionals. What’s more, they’re helping to create modern, family-focussed working environments.”

Oliver Schmitz, CEO of berufundfamilie Service GmbH, personally conducted the audit for Anton Debatin GmbH – not least because he feels a special connection to the Bruchsal-based company. During the award ceremony, he explained how the companies, institutions and universities who undergo the workandfamily or family-friendly university audits are deeply committed to creating a healthy work/life or study/life balance. “They’re willing to put family-friendly policies high on their agenda and drive change in this area. They systematically find practical ways to put their theoretical responsibility into action so that a family-friendly, life-phase-oriented environment becomes a way of life that influences everything else. In doing so, they also take responsibility for responding adequately to the personal needs of their employees or students — which in turn ensures the success and survival of their organisation. It’s a unique achievement!”

Anton Debatin GmbH is part of a network currently comprised of 975 companies, institutions and universities that have successfully completed the workandfamily audit or the family-friendly university audit.