Strengthens its family-friendly corporate culture

• First strategy consultancy to be awarded the "Work and Family" certificate from the non-profit Hertie Foundation
• Concrete actions agreed to support employees with families

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants is the first consultancy to receive the "Work and Family" certificate from the Hertie Foundation, a non-profit organization. The certificate highlights the international consultancy's commitment to better conditions for employees with families. With this initiative, Roland Berger is accommodating many consultants who have expressed a strong desire to strike a good work-family balance.

"A family-friendly model is a business success factor that should not be underestimated," says Thomas Eichelmann, member of the Executive Committee at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. "The certificate will help us increase our attractiveness as an employer even further and gain the long-term loyalty of our staff, both male and female."

More flexible working hours

The certificate was awarded after an intensive audit. Over the course of the audit, Roland Berger employees worked with representatives of the Hertie Foundation to develop a plan for a more family-oriented company. The model they came up with includes more flexible working hours for consultants, which should make part-time work during parental leave easier. In addition, family concerns should be considered more strongly in determining project schedules and deadlines. Roland Berger also promotes the creation of home offices. Professional support in finding daycare services for family children or other family members in need of care is also being planned. Within the next three years, Roland Berger will provide the Hertie Foundation with progress reports on any actions that have been introduced. After this period, the foundation will audit Roland Berger again.

Hertie Foundation's "Work and Family" audit is a well-known personnel management tool that is recognized all over Germany. Other reputable companies have also been certified, among them Adidas Salomon, Commerzbank, MTU and E.ON Ruhrgas. On September 5, German Family Minister Renate Schmidt and Minister of Economics and Labor Wolfgang Clement will be presenting the newly audited companies with the certificates in Berlin.