The Foundation Board of ‘Beruf und Familie Service GmbH’ has awarded the IPK another accolade: not only has the Institute been awarded the ‘Work and Family’ audit certificate once again, but it has also been awarded the ‘Work and Diversity’ certificate for the first time. The Board of Trustees stated that this recognises the Institute’s commitment to promoting a work-life balance through its HR policy. The IPK has now received the ‘Work and Family’ certificate six times and is one of seven institutions to have received the second certificate from the Board of Trustees. The certificates are valid for three years. They are regarded as important strategic marketing tools for attracting the ‘best minds’ in the region and beyond.

“These certificates demonstrate what we practise at the IPK Leibniz Institute: equal opportunities, diversity and a family-friendly environment,” said Nicolaus von Wirén, Managing Director of the IPK. Oliver Schmitz, Managing Director of ‘Beruf und Familie Service GmbH’, commented on the audit: “For 16 years now, the IPK has been laying the foundations for a working environment in which family-friendliness and the various stages of life are consciously considered. With this combined certification, the institute is continuing along this path and, as a leading international research institution, is emphasising the importance of diversity and the compatibility of family and science.”

“The process was naturally more time-consuming than in previous years due to the dual audit,” explains Heike Kwisdorf, which is responsible for the audit at the institute. In accordance with the audit guidelines, the first step was to hold several focus group discussions on diversity with representatives from various employee groups. This was followed by two workshops, during which aspects such as ethnic origin, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, age, and physical and mental ability were examined, and appropriate measures were developed.

In the final step, the framework conditions regarding work-life balance were evaluated, and key areas for optimisation and sustainability were identified. “We then coordinated the previously proposed measures with the IPK management and agreed on them as a binding action plan,” said Heike Kwisdorf.

The measures relating to the diversity aspect of ‘age’ are designed to align staff planning with the IPK’s research strategy, and to ensure knowledge transfer in light of the IPK’s age structure. This includes the developing a training strategy and considering demographic discussions. English courses will also be offered again at the institute, specifically for research support staff. This is intended to improve communication between the approximately 30 different nationalities represented at the institute.

“Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of the staff involved in the audit, we have been able to put together such a comprehensive package of measures, and we are very pleased and grateful,” explains Susann Deike, head of the ‘Human Resources’ working group. A steering group will be formed in the coming weeks to implement the package of measures. This group will comprise representatives from the ‘Human Resources’ group, the Staff Council, the Equality Office, the International Office, the PhD Student Board, the Postdoc Board, the Workplace Integration Officers, the Disability Officers, and the heads of departments.

Since 1999, the Consortium of ‘Beruf und Familie Service GmbH’ has recognised employers who have successfully completed the audit process in the previous twelve months each year. The patron is Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien (CDU). ‘Beruf und Familie Service GmbH’ trace its origins to an initiative launched by the non-profit Hertie Foundation in 1998. Last year, a total of 227 institutions, organisations, and universities in Germany were recognised, 57 of them in the current round.

The certificates will be officially presented to all audited organisations in Berlin in June 2026. “We are delighted to be at the forefront of diversity within the Leibniz Association, and to be the second institute to receive this certificate,” says Susann Deike. 

Further information: 
www.berufundfamilie.de