Family Friendliness
In 2023 and 2024, the University of Basel continued to make significant progress in promoting family-friendly policies. It maintained proven measures, evaluated existing tools, and adapted its services to meet the specific needs of different target groups. A highlight of this two-year period was the successful re-certification in 2024 within the framework of the "audit familiengerechte hochschule".
Re-certification as part of the "audit familiengerechte hochschule"
The University of Basel has been committed to a family-conscious orientation for several years. Following its initial certification in 2021, the university successfully underwent the re-auditing process and was awarded the "audit familiengerechte hochschule" certificate again in autumn 2024. The University of Basel thus remains the first university in Switzerland to hold this certification.
We are pleased to continue on this path together with all members of the university and to further establish the University of Basel as a role model for other institutions of higher education.
Prof. Dr. Nadja Braun Binder, Vice President People & Culture
The certificate is recognized as a mark of quality for family-friendly employers and is awarded for a period of three years. As part of the re-auditing process, strategic goals were defined alongside concrete measures and targets to be implemented over the coming years. The culture of respect and appreciation for family-friendliness will continue to be developed, and leadership personnel will be further supported and empowered to act in a family-conscious manner. In addition, awareness will be raised that “family” not only refers to raising children but also includes caregiving for relatives - an increasingly common responsibility for both students and staff.
Diversity Talk on the topic of «Care»
In June 2024, the first event in the "Diversity Talks" series focused on the topic of "Care". A speaker from Careum Hochschule für Gesundheit shared insights into the various dimensions of care work, such as caregiving for relatives, young carers, and chronic illnesses. This provided a broader perspective on family and caregiving beyond the care of young children. Due to demographic changes, it is expected that this perspective will become more significant in the future and will affect members of the University of Basel.
Diverse projects for a family-friendly university
As part of the goal agreement for the "audit familiengerechte hochschule", a variety of projects have been implemented, including the publication of the advisory guide. This guide serves as a reference for different target groups, helping them identify the relevant departments, such as the Family Service. Also of significance is the revision of the toolbox for employee appraisal interviews. This now explicitly addresses the compatibility of work and family, and the form has been made more inclusive. Another milestone is the equal treatment of all doctoral candidates regarding contract extensions during pregnancy. This process was implemented in early 2023, and by summer, the first cases had already been funded. Additionally, equal treatment for all employees, regardless of their country of residence, has been achieved in the regulations concerning remote work.
Support for early-career researchers with families
The proven support programs get on track and stay on track, aimed at doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and habilitation candidates, offering relief options (such as assistant support, increased childcare, etc.), have been successfully continued. In both reporting years, all submitted applications were approved. Under the "get on track" program, most applications were for childcare, while under "stay on track," there was an increase in applications for assistant support.
[1] The certificate is awarded by the "berufundfamilie Service GmbH."
