Recently, selected Austrian employers were honored for their commitment to increasing family friendliness in Vienna's Aula der Wissenschaften. Among them was the VBV Group, Austria's market leader in company supplementary pensions and NEW severance pay. "We are delighted to receive this award. It shows that we at VBV are making an important contribution to the compatibility of family and career," explains Andreas Zakostelsky, General Director of the VBV Group. "For many years, it has been our concern to create a working environment that meets the needs of our employees. Family-friendly workplaces are an essential part of this."

Living the balance between family and career

The VBV Group takes the individual needs of employees into account - from whatever area of life (childcare, care, etc.) - and promotes the diversity of the workforce. The company pays particular attention to the needs of mothers and fathers on parental leave and those of colleagues who care for and look after relatives. In addition to extensive home office options, there are also flexible working time models within the framework of flexitime or part-time models, as well as the option of using a company kindergarten run by an owner company, the promotion of paternity leave, the options for care leave and active health management for all employees.

"We see qualified, committed and healthy employees, a strong team spirit, respectful interaction with one another and a diverse workforce structure as the basis for our success," explains Petra Öllermayr, HR Manager of the VBV Group. "Family-friendly workplaces are a win for all of us - for the employees, for their families and of course for us as employers."

Family-friendliness as a competitive advantage

How do you become a "Family-Friendly Employer 2024"? The award-winning companies, institutions and universities have successfully completed the certification and re-certification processes. These are precisely defined processes in which existing offers for better compatibility are evaluated and new measures developed with the active participation of employees. A good balance between family and work can be a decisive advantage in the competition for the most qualified employees. In addition, employers who focus on family-friendliness benefit from higher employee satisfaction, stronger employee loyalty to the company, on average significantly more applications per position and better return to work after maternity leave.