Good practice: Flexibilization with SMV
For more flexibility - how the SMV stands up for its employees
SMV Sitz- und Objektmöbel GmbH focuses on the individual needs of its employees. The medium-sized company takes many small steps to promote work-life balance: Half-yearly tire changes and the opportunity for routine medical check-ups at the company are just as much a part of this as a flexitime account for flexible working hours. Employees should be able to reconcile family and career in the best possible way.
Inge Brünger-Mylius knows from her own experience how challenging it can be to balance work and family life. As Managing Director of SMV Sitz- und Objektmöbel GmbH, she and her team are therefore always on the lookout for opportunities and ways to make it easier to reconcile work and family life.
Every life situation is individual and so different working time models suit some people better and others less well. Kai Rudolphy has been working in Sales at SMV for nine years. He has two children and has been divorced for four years. Since then, the children have alternated between seven days at a time with him and seven days at a time with their mother. He has been able to adjust his working hours flexibly: when his children are with him, he works 35 hours a week, and the following week he works 45 hours to compensate. This alternating model is unique and precisely tailored to Kai Rudolphy's needs. He himself says that it took some time to get used to it, but it went very well thanks to the support of his superiors, the management and his team.
FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
Flexitime for everyone
The flexitime model allows employees to start their working day flexibly between 7:30 and 9:00 in the morning. There is a digital time recording system for documenting working hours, in which the start, end and break times are entered. Employees can view their overtime and undertime at any time via their personal hours account and organize themselves when they reduce or make up hours.
For Yildiz Güler, this only has advantages, as it makes it easier for her to balance her work and private life with her child, as the single mother explains in the video.
Creative solutions for greater compatibility
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Time-saving tire change
In addition to the introduction of flexitime and an individual hours account for each employee, which allows hours to be flexibly increased and decreased, SMV also has creative approaches that relieve employees of organization and give them more free time. For example, there is the option of bringing your own car for an organized tire change. A mobile service comes directly to the company premises and changes the tires for all vehicles in one go. This saves time and money.
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Preventive health care
SVM is also well positioned in the area of occupational health care for its employees. Visits from the ophthalmologist, acoustician and company doctor are part of everyday company life at regular intervals. This means that employees do not have to make appointments individually. This is particularly practical for scheduling and organization within the team.
PREREQUISITES
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Agreements & cooperation
Good communication within the team is particularly important in areas where availability within the company must be guaranteed. SMV's internal sales team works in an open-plan office where open and regular arrangements are part of everyday life. If a colleague has to leave early or can only start later the next day, it is ensured that another team member is available for customers.
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Cohesion
Managing Director Inge Brünger-Mylius attaches great importance to making progress together with her team in all new flexibilization measures. It is important to her that her employees have fun at work and enjoy coming to the company without stress.
Where can we find help and advice?
In the toolbox on the website of the "ZEITREICH" project, you will find many helpful ideas for agile, flexible and mobile working:
https://projekt-zeitreich.de/toolbox/
The "Erfolgsfaktor Familie" corporate network offers you the opportunity to exchange ideas with other companies and experts. Membership is free of charge and offers lots of practical information and support for implementation in your company.
https://www.erfolgsfaktor-familie.de/erfolgsfaktor-familie/mitmachen-im-netzwerk
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