KIS continuously endeavours to improve the framework conditions for employees with family commitments so as to enable them to reconcile work, studies and an academic career with raising children and caring for relatives, as provided under the principles of equal opportunities.

In particular, this includes flexible flexitime working models, part-time employment options and the possibility of teleworking. In consideration of the institute's research activities, personal work equipment and access methods in all organisational units are consistently designed for remote access. 

In addition, KIS contributes to the cost of childcare, especially day care during school holidays, and provides a specially equipped parent-child workstation.

In 2024, a staff member obtained special training in questions of nursing care in order to advise staff members affected by nursing care situations within their family.

KIS endeavours to offer all internal events in a family-friendly manner in terms of time and organisation. This is organised based on the individual needs of employees and their own family environment.

In order to ensure the continuous development of our efforts to improve the compatibility of work and family life, an audit is carried out at regular intervals by berufundfamilie Service GmbH. In 2014, KIS received the audit certificate for the first time. Subsequently, the institute was re-audited three times until, in 2024, the dialogue procedure was completed. The dialogue procedure is offered to employers that for at least nine years have been following HR policies that consider the special needs of employees depending on their family situation and stage of life for. This procedure is aimed both at maintaining the high standards of the HR policies already achieved in this respect and at optimising compatibility in specific areas.

On 18 June 2024, KIS was awarded the certificate with honours in Berlin where it was officially presented by the Federal Minister of Family Affairs Lisa Paus MdB and Oliver Schmitz, manager of berufundfamilie Service GmbH.

Thus, KIS is one out of a total of 306 organisations receiving the berufundfamilie or familiengerechte hochschule certificate this year.

The range of information on topics such as childcare, holiday care, caring for relatives, and other relevant points is constantly updated and adapted due to KIS’ membership in the Freiburg Network of Family-Conscious Companies (Freiburger Netzzwerk Familienbewusste Unternehmen). An in-house work-and-family team has been established and can be contacted in person and by email (mailto:buf@leibniz-kis.de). 

If you have any specific concerns, suggestions or criticism, please email us at buf@leibniz-kis.de. All concerns will be treated confidentially.