Role Model
Dr. Christian Cobbers
“My wife and me are both working on a part-time basis of 80% at Henkel. Thus I am able to support the career of my wife and to spend quality time with my kids.”
| Business Unit: | Finance |
| Division: | Financial Operations |
| Job title: |
Manager General Accounting |
Question 1
What makes your work and working time model special and what benefits do you see?
I work part time because I would like to spend more time with my children. Furthermore I am also able to support the career of my wife who is also working at Henkel. My wife and me are both working on a part-time basis of 80% at Henkel. This working time model allows me to take care of my three children every day. I bring them to school and to one of our company kindergarten, and pick them up later when school is finished. Then we have some quality time in the afternoon to play with each other. I structure my workload independently and can compensate the time loss in office very flexibly. Our benefit is that my wife can also work flexibly in her leadership position.
Question 2
Please describe your typical day/work week (e.g. when does your working day start/end? Where do you work? What is your personal work-life balance principle?).
At 8:00 a.m. I take my eldest daughter to school and the other two children to kindergarten. Usually, at 8:30 a.m. I am in the office. At 3:30 p.m. I pick up my younger children from Kindergarten and then my older daughter from the all-day school. In the afternoon we usually have some time to play with each other. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. together with my wife. After our children have gone to bed, I again check my e-mails, if necessary. On Friday, my wife takes care of our children. This allows me to finish the weekly workload without caring responsibilities at that day.
Question 3
What advantages does your line manager have in supporting your work model?
Due to our good work-life balance it is easier to meet the high quality standards we have in Henkel. In times of high work load I can work more and compensate this in off seasons. In emergency cases I am available even in the evening hours. My line manager can rely on me that work is finished in time.
Question 4
Did the opportunity to work under flexible conditions significantly influence your decision to continue working?
Yes, Henkel’s company image of being family-friendly has been a reason for us to join Henkel.