Umicore has once again been awarded the “berufundfamilie” certificate as a family-friendly company

For the sixth time, the circular materials technology company Umicore has been awarded the berufundfamilie certificate by Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus. The award ceremony took place on June 21, 2022, as part of an online event. For Umicore, work-life balance is a key component of the framework for good and sustainable work within the company.

“For us, balancing family, personal life, and work is not a contradiction, but rather part of our corporate philosophy and a key factor in our success as a preferred employer for both our current and future employees,” explains Carsten Neumann, Head of Human Resources at Umicore AG & Co. KG. “It is important to us to take work-life balance into account across all stages of life and age groups. This also includes taking our employees’ non-work-related challenges seriously and supporting them with our best efforts and offerings whenever necessary.”

The Hanau and Bad Säckingen/Rheinfelden sites of Umicore AG & CO. KG were recognized for their exemplary implementation of a family- and life-stage-conscious human resources policy. Umicore was first certified under the audit berufundfamilie in 2007 and has undergone a re-audit every three years since then. This makes the group one of the 158 companies that have successfully completed the audit berufundfamilie in the past twelve months.

Dynamic Package of Measures

Umicore is constantly expanding its range of measures designed to improve work-life balance. In light of dynamic developments, the company responds flexibly to the changing needs of its employees—such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to flexible work arrangements such as teleworking or working from home, and the implementation of needs-based work schedules like part-time work or sabbaticals, Umicore’s existing measures also include counseling on balancing caregiving responsibilities with work, an on-site daycare center, and the introduction of company bicycles.

For the coming years, the Group aims, among other things, to increase the use of individualized (part-time) work schedules among executives, raise the proportion of women in senior management positions, enable part-time training, and establish, for example, a fathers’ or family network.