Those who help their employees to synchronise their private and working lives in the best possible way also strengthen their ability to work. We are therefore committed to a wide range of measures for work-life balance - with colleagues whose job it is to implement these measures, develop them further and anchor them in the corporate culture.
We all take our private demands and worries with us to work. Our employer, REWE Group, recognises the importance of private life for professional life and therefore promotes a life-phase-conscious and family-friendly employee policy. The vast majority of Business Areas have therefore been certified for years in accordance with the job and family audit, which recognises the compatibility of work and private life.
The certification is regularly reviewed and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the much-cited work-life balance for all with a wide range of specific measures. All certified areas, whether PENNY, REWE or the Central locations in Cologne, for example, are committed to implementing these goals. This strengthens the company's attractiveness as an employer and retains employees in the long term.
The buf experts Michelle Labonté, Jacqueline Klos and Christoph Siegert are there to ensure that these measures, whether company daycare centres, awo lifebalance or work-life balance plans, are implemented and further developed. In an interview with one, they talk about their tasks in general and about a measure that is currently particularly close to their hearts.
one: Michelle, at REWE national you are responsible for balancing work, family and private life. What does that mean in concrete terms?
Michelle Labonté: I have a very varied job with topics that are close to my heart. I deal with the needs, wishes and also difficulties of store and administrative employees. I look at what measures can be introduced and implemented to improve the work-life balance for everyone.
one: What kind of measures are these?
Michelle Labonté : REWE Markt GmbH has been certified by berufundfamilie Service GmbH since 2015. This certification is renewed every three years. This means that we have to show our external auditor what developments have taken place and that we are continuing to work on our sustainable family and life-phase-conscious HR policy. For each audit cycle, we put together a 3-year package of measures against which we can measure our success. To compile the measures, we receive input from employees from all areas of REWE Markt GmbH. It is important that we include every perspective in order to jointly determine realistic solutions for achieving a work-life balance.
To this end, I also work closely with the regional buf advisors. They are closer to the market and ensure that the measures are implemented
one: Which of the work-life balance programmes are particularly close to your heart?
Michelle Labonté: There are quite a few! For example, free membership of the German Youth Hostel Association for one calendar year. In addition to the savings, the range of offers is also very attractive: from city trips to wellness breaks, holiday camps for the kids to nature, creative and sports activities. Not only throughout Germany, but also internationally - there is something for everyone. In addition, we always try to negotiate great offers, such as the DJH competition last year.
Or our cooperation with awo lifebalance, which not only offers services for families with children, such as arranging childcare, or counselling on topics such as parental allowance, but also provides support with caring for relatives. Here, awo lifebalance usually offers solutions and helpful tips within 24 hours. The counselling hotline is free of charge for REWE employees.
We are also interested in the measures that already exist in the stores so that we can use them as positive examples. That's why there will be a competition for our REWE regions between March and May, which you can enter via the MeineREWE app. One winning store per region will be honoured and rewarded with a team event. After all, every joint event strengthens team spirit and promotes a good working atmosphere.
one: Jacqueline, PENNY is still the only discounter in Germany to be certified in accordance with the job and family audit. What does that mean?
Jacqueline Klos: We have been implementing the job and family audit quality seal since May 2018. We are proud of this because it is a qualitative expression of our employer brand. Our certificate must be renewed in the audit every three years. Over the past six years, we have not only developed a wide range of offers relating to work-life balance, but also a special awareness of the topic - and we are constantly developing ourselves and our offers. We offer many measures such as part-time management, sabbaticals and support in finding childcare options, to name just a few.
one: What are you currently working on?
Jacqueline Klos: We are currently in the third auditing phase. For the new target agreement, we have now conducted random sample interviews with employees from all areas (sales department, logistics and administration) and various levels, based on whose feedback we know where we currently stand and what measures we are developing for the next three years. We are working closely with an auditor to do this. She confirmed that we have a special "PENNY spirit", i.e. that we have a great team that supports each other. The compatibility at PENNY is particularly good because the team lives it. For example, if someone is absent or a shift needs to be swapped - the team makes it possible. I am certain that this strong "Team PENNY" cohesion is our unique selling point.
one: After the interviews you conducted with employees, what measures are you focussing on for the next three years?
Jacqueline Klos: Penetration! We already have a lot of measures in place - but they need to be better publicised. We also want to engage in more dialogue in order to continuously develop the measures for our target groups. We will continue to work on ensuring that the communication of our offers reaches the target group. We also have high hopes for our planned PENNY employee app, which will help us to communicate with employees on the ground and better position our offers. HR partners in each region are also promoting the topic as BuF patrons.
one: Do the three of you each have a favourite project from the BuF measures? Which one is yours?
Jacqueline Klos: Our BuF story campaign, formerly known as the hoodie campaign. In this campaign, we invite colleagues to send us good examples of work-life balance from their everyday working lives. Last year, we gave them a hoodie as a thank-you for a telephone interview with us, hence the original name. This yearis giving away a rucksack.
We will then publish the stories on our employee radio station PENNYlive and in the employee magazine Mein PENNY. In doing so, we hope to give others ideas on how to balance work and private life. I really appreciate every submission because there are so many great stories. Some are happy, like the love story between two employees who met as PENNY trainees and whose work schedules have become more compatible since they became parents. Other stories touch me, like that of an employee whose team gave her special support after the death of her husband.
PENNY employees who would like to tell their personal story of good work-life balance and be interviewed should send an email to: berufundfamilie-penny@rewe-group.com. A publication in My PENNY and PENNYlive as well as a PENNY rucksack await as a thank you.
one: Christoph, you are responsible for reconciling work, family and private life for the Central locations in Cologne. What are your main topics?
Christoph Siegert: My work is divided into 'visible' and 'invisible' tasks. Visible to our colleagues are programmes such as our annual work-life balance week and specialist presentations, as well as all the initiatives and measures that promote work-life balance, such as our collaborations with external partners.
What is not directly visible, for example, is our work to achieve re-certification this year by our audit partner - berufundfamilie GmbH. We are currently working on the new action programme for the Central locations for the next three-year cycle, which will begin in 2025.
one: What were and are the current priorities for action?
Christoph Siegert: There are currently four focal points: Modern working models, men working part-time, diversity in leadership and the transition to retirement. We have been active in these areas and want to continue to provide impetus.
one: Which focus area is particularly close to your heart?
Christoph Siegert : As we think of work-life balance in such a way that it encompasses a variety of lifestyles, we also take the opportunity to consider the different phases of life. I am currently focussing in particular on the transition to retirement. Or, as I find it more accurate to put it, the later working years. The topic is no longer completely undescribed, but it still has a lot more potential.
one: How do you define "later working years"? How and why do you want to create more awareness?
Christoph Siegert: Without specifying a concrete number, I see all employees here who believe they have room for professional and personal development and don't want to remain stagnant.
I don't believe that "old" automatically fulfils the prejudices of "slow" or "inflexible". If you look at the age pyramid, it becomes clear that more people are leaving than are coming in. We need to talk about this, become active and create understanding.
one: Understanding for whom?
Christoph Siegert: Understanding for the topic itself. I believe we need to deal with it before it employs us. And it also helps if we promote cooperation between the generations - how we can support and enrich each other. And that requires awareness and mutual understanding. Appreciation is also an issue - from all sides.
one: What concepts can you think of?
Christoph Siegert : I'll try to summarise it briefly with knowledge retention. As a rule, we develop our knowledge in the course of our work. If we manage to take "generational knowledge" and "generational experience" into account, we can build an age-diverse bridge here and promote the further development of our employees. In the spirit of our Sustainability: "We want to look after what we have."
one: How do we look after what we have?
Christoph Siegert: For me, nurturing takes place on many levels. We have to start by listening and utilising the opportunities we have as a large company. We want to create realisable and realistic offers that benefit everyone involved and REWE. I believe that we can take a good step in this direction to keep motivation high in the later years of our careers.
