Family friendliness

Balancing work and home life
We strive to support our staff in balancing their work, family and personal life requirements. To this end, we offer a wide range of services, including a daycare center for young children.

Family Service

The pme family services support employees in all situations. The portfolio includes:

  • the placing of child carers in private households (e.g. babysitters, au-pairs, "hired grandmas")
  • emergency care, the provision of carers at very short notice in emergencies
  • the offer of holiday care

The Max Planck Society bears the costs for the consultation and mediation services. The costs of the actual care are borne by the parents.

Daycare center "caesarinis"​

MPINB has set up its own daycare center "caesarinis" (in cooperation with "La Familiär e.V.") for employees’ children aged between 4 months and 3.5 years. Two qualified and experienced kindergarten teachers are looking after a maximum of nine children. The daycare is housed in the institute's guesthouse in the immediate vicinity of the institute.

Parent-child office

A parent-child office is available in the event of illness or difficulties with regular childcare. The office is well equipped for spending a work day with a child, including a sofa bed and travel cot, toys, TV and DVD player as well as a workplace for the parent.

Family friendliness: certified by berufundfamilie

Proven Quality through Audits: Since 2006, the Max Planck Society and its institutes have been awarded the "berufundfamilie" certificate by the non-profit berufundfamilie Service GmbH. On September 30, 2024, they received this certification for the seventh time, valid for the next three years (2024–2027).

This recognition underscores the Society's commitment to embedding family-conscious personnel policies into its corporate culture. The institutes are entitled to use the protected certificate logo in publications and job advertisements.

By offering equal opportunities and promoting work-life balance—through partnerships with childcare facilities, nationwide family services, and flexible work options—the Max Planck Society aims to remain a top employer and address demographic changes.

To maintain this positive trajectory, the Society has engaged in a new "Audit" action program outlining planned improvements over the next three years.