University of Mannheim Once Again Certified as a Family-Friendly University

Since the first audit in 2006, the University of Mannheim has implemented extensive measures to enable its members to reconcile family and career and/or studies. This includes an initial point of contact and counseling services as well as an advisor for employees who are caring for care-dependent relatives for finding solutions for individual problems. The university also offers flexible work time models such as flexitime and telework as well as a Parent and Child Room and reserved spots at the childcare center of the Studierendenwerk Mannheim. Other support measures are childcare during school holidays, a parents’ network, maternity leave for students, and consulting services for degree planning and examination organization. The FAiR@UMA program supports early-stage researchers with family obligations and the revised guidelines on professorial appointments take the reconciliation of family and work during the appointment process into account.

After being successfully re-audited as scheduled, the University of Mannheim was permanently awarded the family-friendly university certificate in 2017. The certificate is now renewed every three years in a dialog process. This is why the university is taking an active approach to continue to uncover deficits and identify areas for improvement through surveys and auditing processes. Just as in previous years, an action program was developed with the goal of finding good solutions to improve compatibility of work and family.

Website on the reconciliation of work and family life