Family-Friendly University and Work Life Balance

  © Benedikt Biesemeier

Better compatability between family and career or studies – that is an important matter close to our hearts here at RWTH Aachen. Since 2009, the university has been involved with the certification process of "audit familiengerechte hochschule" and has, after going through two re-auditings, developed and implemented diverse agreements on objectives.

 

Helping everyone follow their own design for their lives with respect to career or studies has to be seen as a vital contribution to furthering equal treatment between women and men within university. Famliy-friendly human resources management that is based on responsible and sensible behavior of managers with regard to topics such as childcare and care for family members is an important component of future-oriented promotion of university members.

In this spirit, RWTH Aachen has adopted a concept of family which takes its cue from the notion of social responsibility:

 

Family-friendly Leadership

As part of Staff Development, RWTH Aachen organizes continuing education offers or information events for the diverse target groups at university that also address the topic of work life balance.

Great emphasis is put on making management personnel sensitive to matters of work life compatibility, since they are the key actors in the implementation of family-friendly leadership after all.They are being supported in their leadership responsibilities by a guidebook of golden rules for family friendly management published by the Equal Opportunities Office and the Integration Team.

Every year the award FAMOS für FAMILIE, recognizes RWTH Aachen managers, who have already succeeded in providing better compatibility between family and career through a particularly family friendly management style.

 

Service for Families

Part of the Equal Opportunities Office is the Family Services Center team, which supports all the members of the unversity, by offering a broad spectrum of information, individualized, confidential counseling, as well as specific measures with regard to the topics of starting a family, studying as a parent, child care or caring for family members.