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Last Thursday (11.11.2021), Audi AG received the prestigious Otto Heinemann Award and is now officially considered a "role model for a care-friendly working environment". As one of only three companies nationwide to be honored, the automobile manufacturer impressed the jury in the category "Companies with more than 5,000 employees" with its exemplary solutions for caregiving employees.
Few companies in Germany have yet recognized the significance of balancing work and caregiving for those affected. The number of people who must balance work and caregiving is quite high. Of the current four million people in need of care, the majority are looked after at home by relatives – care homes are expensive, and care places are scarce. The exact number of those balancing care and work is difficult to determine. This is partly because many caregiving relatives do not yet see themselves as caregivers. It's also because caregiving is still a taboo topic – especially at work. In 2018, an analysis led by Dr. Christian Teubner concluded that already half a million working people had to combine their careers with caregiving tasks. The trend is rising. All the more important that these employees also receive support from their employers.
Audi recognized this early on. Sabine Maaßen, Head of Human Resources and Organization at Audi AG, says: "We do not leave our employees alone in such difficult situations and support them with numerous care and information offers." The company's commitment includes, among other things, lectures on individual and long-term counseling offers as well as educational work on the subject of dementia and Alzheimer's. Always by their side, the care fund of Audi BKK and the social enterprise famPLUS, which specializes in relieving working people in the areas of care, parents and children, and mental health, with headquarters in Munich. "We have been working closely with Audi AG for many years and have already been able to help many employees during this time. We also arrange short-term respite care as well as nursing home places or outpatient care for those affected," says Johannes Winklmair, Head of Care Consulting & Eldercare at famPLUS.
Audi offers its employees even more. For instance, the company has extended the legally required care or family care leave from six months to up to three years. Those who wish to continue working or need to for financial reasons, despite having caregiving responsibilities, can work part-time while caring for relatives in need, have the option of mobile working, or can use variable working hours, depending on their current life situation.
With the Otto Heinemann Prize, Audi AG has now received the deserved recognition for their commitment. This award, given by spectrumK GmbH in cooperation with the top associations of the BKKs and IKKs, was only launched in 2015. Companies providing particularly good conditions for the compatibility of work and caregiving for their employees are recognized. Audi also wants to continue raising awareness on the topic of "work and caregiving" in the future. Currently, Audi and famPLUS are working together on further digital, analog, and combinable offerings due to the increasing demand. "We look forward to continuing to actively support Audi as a cooperation partner in the future," concludes Winklmair.
Text: Nicole Beste-Fopma
