Leuphana again awarded the FaMi seal for family-friendly measures

2022-06-28 For the fourth time, Leuphana has been recognised as a family-friendly company in North-East Lower Saxony by the Community Initiative Family Seal.

Andrea Kowaleski (feffa e.V.), Hannah Brandenburg (Leuphana) and Brigitte Kaminiski (Gemeinschaftsinitiative Familien-Siegel) (from left) met at Werner Hübner GmbH in Lüneburg. ©Gemeinschaftsinitiative Familien-Siegel
Andrea Kowaleski (feffa e.V.), Hannah Brandenburg (Leuphana) and Brigitte Kaminiski (Gemeinschaftsinitiative Familien-Siegel) (from left) met at Werner Hübner GmbH in Lüneburg.

Leuphana University Lüneburg is one of the first 21 Lüneburg companies to receive the seal in the campaign period 2022 to 2024. Those who want to be distinguished as family-friendly have to fill out a detailed application form every three years. Brigitte Kaminski from the joint initiative is currently observing many changes in a positive direction, she said at the first meeting of the initiative with representatives of the awarded companies on 16 June 2022 at Werner Hübner GmbH in Lüneburg: "In many places the working climate is changing, also due to the pandemic. Family friendliness is no longer nice-to-have, but absolutely necessary."

The challenges of the Corona pandemic in the last two years have also led to a long-term change in everyday working life at Leuphana, says Kathrin van Riesen, Equal Opportunities Officer at the university. "By switching to home office and online teaching in all areas, it became visible that this can bring a better work-life balance in addition to the familiar challenges." Thus, a new service agreement on mobile working was adopted in the first quarter of 2022, which in future will enable almost all Leuphana University employees to continue to work part of their weekly working hours off campus. Hannah Brandenburg from the Family Service adds that in special family situations that require more presence at home or other locations, the proportion of mobile working can be temporarily increased at short notice. "We expect this offer to be well received and thus further facilitate the compatibility of family responsibilities and work at Leuphana University."

The FaMi seal, short for family seal, has been awarded to employers in north-east Lower Saxony since 2010 who are particularly committed to the compatibility of family and work.

The joint initiative Family Seal includes the Überbetriebliche Verbund Frau & Wirtschaft Lüneburg.Uelzen e.V., the Lüneburg-Wolfsburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the German Trade Union Federation Region Nordostniedersachsen e.V., the Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH Stadt und Landkreis Lüneburg, the Employers' Association Nordostniedersachsen e.V., the Leuphana University of Lüneburg and the Chamber of Crafts Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Stade. The aim of the initiative, which is active throughout North-East Lower Saxony, is to promote and make visible the commitment to improving the compatibility of family and work in companies.