Equality and Diversity

The HPI embraces equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace and is committed to reconciling work and family in science and research. To recruit the best people, the HPI wants to create a family-friendly working environment and tap into opportunities offered by equality agendas.

Equality efforts have been integrated into the HPI’s development strategies for several years already. The HPI’s equality plan, adopted for the first time in 2009 and regularly updated and expanded ever since, is a benchmark for sustainable, innovative and targeted policies on equality between men and women in the workplace.

The HPI’s equal opportunities representatives advise and support members of staff on questions and problems including: 

• The reconciliation of family and working life
• Gender equality
• Improving professional situation
• Professional development and training (including the Leibniz Mentoring programme)

In addition, members of staff may receive advice in matters trust such as:  

• A disadvantage and/or discrimination in employment and/or at the workplace
• Conflicts and workplace bullying
• Sexual harassment and discrimination according to the German Geberal Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG)

Equal Opportunities Office: HPI, House 1, Room 1908 (basement), extension: -325, or in writing (Email, office mailbox)
Office hours: By appointment.

Counselling Service

Counselling, initiated by the equal opportunities representative and the board, is available at the HPI free of charge . This may be helpful if
• you are burdened by personal concerns and need,
• you have psychological difficulties,
• you have returned to work after prolonged illness,
• you would like to discuss your situation with an independent person, or
• you are experiencing bullying or discrimination.

Counselling is provided by the HPI´s occupational health physician Dr. Gabriele Andersen

Emergency Childcare

The HPI cooperates with the childcare service Notmütterdienst, Familien- und Seniorenhilfe e.V., which offers - in cases their own childcare via day nursery, school, family or friends fails - individually care solutions for children of HPI employees.

Information regarding the children emergency care you find in the HPI intranet.

Award and Commitment

The HPI won the TOTAL E-QUALITY award for exemplary activities in terms of human resource management aimed at providing equal opportunity.

Moreover, the HPI signed the Charta der Vielfalt (diversity charta), a corporate initiative to promote diversity in companies and institutions.

Complaints Office

The Complaints Office at the HPI has been established by the employer to prevent or, if already done, to eliminate any discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of race, gender, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual identity.

Employees who feel directly or indirectly discriminated against on the above-mentioned grounds are urged to contact the Complaints Office immediately. All contacts and investigations will be kept strictly confidential. For this reason, personal contact is preferable to digital contact. Together with the member of the complaints office you have contacted, the next steps will be discussed and possible solutions initiated.

The members of the Complaints Office:

Katja Linke, Equality Office, Dr. Gabriele Andersen, Works Council

Further members:

HR Department, ombudsperson

Care offer voiio

The HPI is committed to providing its employees with the greatest possible flexibility and to additionally supporting the compatibility of family and career.  Therefore, the institute has entered into a cooperation with voiio GmbH - a company that offers events, childcare services and expert advice for families.

HPI employees can book both virtual and offline childcare services for their children and grandchildren at leibniz-hpi.voiio.family. A diverse range of digital workshops and events are available there. You can choose from a variety of offerings for school-age children from 5 years upwards and teenagers. In addition, there are various coaching and consulting services for parents. 

More information:

Registration at leibniz-hpi.voiio.family

An overview of the virtual events currently offered by voiio can be found here: voiio.de/virtuelle-kinderbetreuung/stundenplan

Offers for virtual learning support can be found here: voiio.de/virtuelle-kinderbetreuung/lernfoerderung

You are also welcome to use the virtual childcare Flex, which allows you to flexibly arrange digital childcare (weekdays 8 am - 6 pm).  For requests at short notice, it is best to contact the voiio consulting team by phone.

Voiio additionally offers a test course every Friday at five o'clock for all interested parents to discover the digital offering and clarify questions about technical details: voiio.family/partners/technische-einweisung-die-voiio-events

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact voiio directly (weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm): 030 6779 5051

More information can be found on the HPI intranet.