Marine Engine Builder Wins Happy Family Award

The Tognum Group & its subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen situated on Lake Constance provide staff with numerous possibilities for reconciling the demands of work and private life, now recognized for the third time as a 'Family-Friendly Employer'. Official presentation of the accolade is to take place in Berlin in the summer of next year.

The manufacturing group provides staff with numerous possibilities for reconciling the demands of work and private life. "As far as the work-life balance is concerned, Tognum is in a very strong position and ranks among the top 25% in comparison with other companies," said Christine Schöneberg, auditor at 'berufundfamilie' (career and family), that grants the certificates jointly with the Hertie foundation.


"We offer a wide variety of working time models to help our staff meet the company's operational needs and at the same time organize their family life in the best possible way," said Ingo Metzer, head of personnel. One example of how flexibly working time can be structured around the needs of job and family is provided by Maria Galgoczi from electronics manufacturing.

Twenty-six years ago, she began working for MTU on a part-time basis to enable her to tend to her school-age child. As the years passed, so did her familial obligations, but she was able to switch between different working time models: one year she worked in the mornings,  one year two full days a week, then three full days. Today she does part-time shift work. "It's very important for me to have time for my family. I was able to organize my work time around my child's school timetable. Today I can cater for the needs of my husband, who has now retired, in exactly the same way," she says, to highlight the benefits of flexible working hours.