In 2018, PENNY was the first discounter to be awarded the "job and family" certificate. The company committed itself to further improving the work-life balance for employees, both in the stores and in logistics and administration. Since then, a wide range of programmes have been created to achieve this goal and many employees have already benefited from them. The HR department has now organised another campaign to draw attention to these offers. In one, four employees report on their experiences.
Claudia Fritsche, Primary Representative, Southwest Region
"I started as a mini-jobber at the PENNY store in 2012 and now work as a primary sales representative at this store. Within a few years, I lost several close family members. My sister died suddenly of cancer in 2014. my partner passed away in 2015. Two years later, my mother also died of cancer. That was a very, very difficult time for me. Despite all the grief and suffering, I was always able to rely on the full support of my colleagues. Shifts were reallocated so that I could look after my family members. The full support of my colleagues and my senior managers helped me to get through this difficult time. I always felt like I was in good hands in the team - just like in a family."
Andre Schneider, District Manager, Region East
"Over two years ago, I was given the opportunity to study for a Master's degree (MA International Retail Management) alongside my job as a district manager. When we had our son, it became difficult for my wife and I to juggle work, family and, in my case, my studies. When my line manager approached me with the suggestion to take parental leave, I gratefully accepted. I think that in many companies it is unfortunately still not a matter of course for fathers to take parental leave, especially not in the discount environment. So it's all the more pleasing that this is possible at PENNY. I felt perfectly supported by my line manager and my colleagues throughout my studies and also during my parental leave."
Daniela Fuchs, Salesperson, Southwest Region
"Last year, my husband fell very seriously ill. When I told my boss about it, he reacted immediately and reorganised my work schedule so that I could be there for my husband. My colleagues in the store also supported me during this time. Unfortunately, my husband succumbed to his illness in June. My boss and all the team members offered me their help at all times. They also attended my husband's funeral, which touched me deeply. After his death, I took a five-week break to collect myself. This time out and the understanding of the team helped me a lot during this difficult time. Now I'm working in the PENNY store every day again and it's good for me because the work takes my mind off my grief."
Friederike Elison, Store Manager, Southern Region
"I've been working at PENNY since 2007, before that I worked in various positions in REWE stores. When I worked as a store manager at PENNY, I got into a lot of trouble with my husband at the time and had to separate from him. As a single mother of three small children, it seemed impossible for me to continue working full-time. I then sought a dialogue with my boss to tell him about my situation. He was very understanding and offered to reduce my hours so that I could keep my job as a store manager. I gratefully accepted this offer and worked part-time as a store manager for a year. That helped me a lot in my situation at the time."
The "hoodie campaign"
With the campaign under the motto: "You can combine work, family and private life. And inspire others," the HR department wanted to draw attention to the wide range of offers that PENNY provides its employees. All employees who have taken advantage of "BuF" services were asked to share their examples with the HR department and then publish them on internal and external channels, such as the PENNY careers page, PENNYLive radio and MeinPENNY. A flyer was created for this purpose, which was hung up in the lounges in the stores, among other places. The campaign ran from the beginning of February to the end of May. More than 160 employees took part in the campaign. Participants whose entries matched the campaign received a free PENNY hoodie as a thank you.
PENNY offers these benefits to all logistics, sales department and administrative employees:
awo lifebalance - Childcare
Awo lifebalance" supports employees by providing professional advice and arranging childcare services - even in emergency situations. Childcare services:
- Support in the search for places in daycare centres
- Placement of carers (childminders, babysitters, au pairs)
- Short-term care in emergencies
awo lifebalance - Nursing care
Awo lifebalance" also supports employees with professional counselling and referrals to care services.
The "awo lifebalance" counselling costs are covered in full by PENNY. Employees are responsible for the subsequent costs of support and care services.
Care support services/ counselling for the care and support of your relatives in need of assistance and/or support on the following topics, among others:
- Care services and benefits
- Staying in your own home
- Relief offers in everyday life
- Benefit entitlements and costs Healthcare proxies and living wills
- Arranging care and support services
- Arranging care solutions for emergencies
Nathalie Küpper is available to answer any questions you may have about the offers.
Emergency folder
In an emergency, there is often not enough time to gather important personal information and documents (e.g. powers of attorney, living wills, passwords, etc.). Employees can fill out the job and family Service GmbH emergency folder for themselves and their relatives. This means that important information is available at a glance in an emergency.
LoS! - Help in personal crises
Whether divorce, debt, a serious illness, the loss of a loved one, a family member in need of care or other private worries: personal problems can be many and varied and can also have a significant impact on working life. LoS!" is designed to provide employees with quick and practical support in critical life situations.
"LoS!" stands for "Life-phase orientated self-help competence". The special thing about LoS! is the help from colleagues for colleagues. To this end, employees are trained to become so-called multipliers and trained to provide help in critical phases of life. In this way, colleagues can offer help and advice or simply lend a sympathetic ear.
As a colleague counsellor, the LoS! multiplier shows what measures are possible, for example, in the event of impending financial difficulties or how to apply for a care level for relatives in need of care. The employee concerned cannot be relieved of the need to go to debt counselling or the care insurance fund, but there are initial solutions and rays of hope.
Employees have the opportunity to be trained as LoS! multipliers.
- Thematic aids for action:
- Care
- Divorce
- Finance
- Bereavement/death
- Personal illness
- Precaution
- Sexualised violence
LoS! - Useful tips for trainees
Training is often the first step into working life and self-employment. New challenges have to be mastered - suddenly you have to take care of your tax return and insurance. So that the new situation doesn't overwhelm you, the guides below explain the most important topics relating to training.
- BAB (vocational training allowance)
- Insurance and moving out
- Tax return
- Pension
Sabbatical time-out
PENNY offers a sabbatical (also known as "Auszeit S") to improve the balance between work, family and private life. Time off S - Sabbatical is a working time model that allows employees to take time off from work for one to six months within a 12-month period without giving reasons: anything from building a house to travelling the world is permitted during this time.
Employees continue to be covered by social insurance and receive a salary for the duration of their leave of absence. After the leave of absence, employees can return to work as usual. The duration and period of the sabbatical must be agreed with the line manager in advance. Following a successful application, a so-called "savings phase" begins, during which employees work at their usual hourly rate with a reduced salary. During the release phase, employees then receive their "saved" salary and are released from work.
- Further information on sabbaticals and the requirements can be found in the general works agreement "Time off for a sabbatical (Auszeit S)" and in the brochure "REWE-Auszeit Sabbatical". If you are interested, senior managers will be happy to arrange an information meeting with the HR department.
Cancer screening
REWE Group has launched the "(Cancer) Prevention" campaign under the motto "You are important". According to statistics, one in three people will develop cancer in the course of their lives. This is why prevention and early detection are so important. Thanks to advances in medicine, half of all cancers can now be treated and even cured.
PENNY grants every employee time credits for various (cancer) screening examinations. There is a corresponding time sheet for the time credits.
