Working and Familiy Life

The German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) runs a family-oriented personnel policy to achieve a better reconciliation of work and family life. To earn the certificate “audit berufundfamilie”, IDOS had to undergo a thorough review of its efforts in reconciling work and family life within the Institute. Based on eight areas of action, the review included a survey of the Institute’s specific potentials as well as the creation of a tailored, extensive and successful strategy for IDOS to improve its family-friendliness. In 2012, IDOS was awarded the certificate "audit berufundfamilie" for the first time. In 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2024 the Institute has been re-certified. The re-audit aims to ensure that institutions implement a sustainable family-conscious HR policy. The successful re-certification honours again the sustainable process of family-friendly policy at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).

Over the last few years, the Institute has made several improvements to its operations. IDOS fosters the compatibility of work and family life through family-conscious work time models, flexi-time for employees with small children, flexible work site solutions, help to bridge shortfalls in day care by providing a mobile children’s corner and subsidies to day care fees. More than 200 families of employees benefit currently from IDOS’s family conscious corporate culture.

For the future, IDOS wants to further advance the family-friendliness of the Institute.
The family audit is a continuous process. The practical implementation of the objectives and activities are reviewed annually by the berufundfamilie gGmbH (a non-profit private limited company).

With the certification, the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) joins a group of about 1,600 other German companies, universities and institutions which have been appointed by the “audit berufundfamilie”. The certificate is awarded by berufundfamilie, an initiative of the Hertie foundation. The certified employers are considered to be pioneers relating their personnel policy, providing their employees with considerably more family-friendly working conditions, compared to German national average.