Defying the skills shortage with family-friendly HR policies: The Family-Friendly HR Policy Research Centre at Münster University publishes a study on family-friendly measures at Münster University Hospital

The Family-Friendly HR Policy Research Centre at Münster University publishes a study on family-friendly measures at Münster University Hospital - Can family-friendly measures undertaken by companies can be innovative and, at the same time, a worthwhile social investment? This is the question asked in a study just published entitled "Balancing career and family with the audit berufundfamilie programme - a case study at Münster University Hospital". The Family-Friendly HR Policy Research Centre (FFP) at Münster University produced the study in cooperation with the University's Institute of Political Science, as part of the EU project "InnoSI" (Innovative Social Investment - Strengthening Communities in Europe). The example of Münster University Hospital (UKM) shows that family-friendly measures can be seen as an advantage in the competition to attract and keep skilled employees. Setting up a central contact office The study comes to the conclusion that what is particularly impressive is the gathering together of all the various support measures on offer in one central place. "Many companies offer family-friendly measures, but the internal FamilienServiceBüro (Family Services Office) as a central contact office for employees is especially innovative," says Corinna Schein, who works at the FFP Research Centre and is one of the people who worked on the study. The FamilienServiceBüro gives advice on all sorts of questions relating to career-family balance, providing information for employees on, for example, childcare facilities, possibilities for making working times more flexible, parental leave and parental allowance, as well as ways of balancing work and care for family members.