Good practice: Goldsmiths Adam

Flexible and individual planning of working hours, childcare allowance and shopping card: Goldschmiede Adam GbR from Hagen has developed uncomplicated and effective solutions for family friendliness together with the workforce.

Together with his brother, Ingo Adam took over the now 60-year-old family business from their father in 2006. The goldsmiths employ ten people - most of whom are women who work in sales. "A lot of young women apply for jobs with us. Pregnancies and parental leave are therefore a matter of course for us. But of course we don't want to lose our skilled female employees," explains Ingo Adam. The Managing Director has responded to the challenge. In joint workshops, management and staff analyzed the need for family-friendly restructuring and personnel measures. Working independently, flexible working hours and financial support for childcare should make it easier for mothers in particular to combine family and career.

Employees have the opportunity to make use of trust-based and flexitime and to work part-time or, if the job allows, from home. After parental leave in particular, they can help determine their workload so that returning to work is as smooth as possible. The principle of individual responsibility has proved its worth at Goldschmiede to ensure that flexible working hours work without any problems for the small team. Since the takeover in 2006, the employees have been planning and agreeing their working hours and shift changes independently.

Once a month, everyone comes together and discusses the schedule for the coming weeks - without the boss. This offers maximum flexibility, but also promotes a sense of responsibility among the individual employees, as they now share responsibility for ensuring that everything runs smoothly. There are alternating weekend shifts to ensure that family time is not neglected at the weekend. And even in the event of unplanned absences, such as illness or medical appointments, employees are able to find solutions quickly and easily via the group chat, among other things.

Another measure was to reduce opening hours. The company took a close look at the purchasing behavior of its customers and noticed that hardly anything was bought between 4 and 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The management then shortened the usual weekend opening hours by two hours so that the weekend shift is free at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. This gives the sales assistants a longer weekend and allows them to spend more time with their families. "Sometimes it's worth breaking with tradition. At the very least, you should question them from time to time," says Adam, for whom the new regulation is also proving financially worthwhile. If employees ever have to work on a Sunday - be it at trade fairs or on Sundays when shops are open - they also receive double the number of hours as compensation.

In addition to making working hours more flexible, Goldschmiede also offers targeted financial support measures. To ease the financial burden on parents, for example, they receive a subsidy towards daycare fees. Furthermore, the company gives all employees a shopping card every few months in addition to their salary as a special token of appreciation. This works like a cheque card, which employees can use to pay at numerous stores and cover the cost of childcare products, for example.

In general, the corporate culture of the small goldsmiths is characterized by a family atmosphere and mutual trust. "In a small company, compatibility can only work if agreements work. And they work best when the working atmosphere is right. Good cooperation must be lived and encouraged," says Adam. In addition to company outings, the goldsmiths therefore regularly organize joint lunches and celebrations.

Adam notices that the family-friendly measures in his company are proving their worth in various areas. "In the competition for qualified specialists, we can attract people with our offers and services in the area of work-life balance. Our employees are also more satisfied and sickness-related absences and staff turnover are low," explains Adam. Customers are also noticing the changes and appreciate the good atmosphere in the store.