PVZ opens parent-child office New ways of family-friendly working in science

In August, the Centre for Pharmaceutical Process Engineering (PVZ) at Technical University of Braunschweig opened a parent-child office. This new offering sends a strong signal that the PVZ is committed to making everyday scientific life more family-friendly, while also promoting flexible working in research and teaching.

Professor Iordania Constantinou from the Institute of Microtechnology came up with the idea for a parent-child office. Photo credit: Silja Klemenz/TU Braunschweig

A look inside the new parent-child office at the PVZ. Photo credit: Silja Klemenz/TU Braunschweig

Family-friendly workplace: with desk, recliner and children's kitchen. Photo credit: Silja Klemenz/TU Braunschweig

Parent-child office in the PVZ with play carpet for the little ones. Photo credit: Silja Klemenz/TU Braunschweig

The new parent-child office enables parents with childcare responsibilities the opportunity to bring their children to work with them in emergency situations or when their regular childcare is unavailable at short notice. The premises are equipped for children and at the same time offer a quiet working area for academic work. This bridges the gap between family obligations and professional responsibilities, sending an important message about greater compatibility.

“The parent-child office shows that family friendliness is not just a buzzword for us. We want to create an environment where parents and children are equally welcome, because an academic career should naturally be compatible with family life,” explains Iordania Constantinou, professor at the Institute of Microtechnology at TU Braunschweig, who launched the initiative to set up the parent-child office.

The new parent-child office is one of a number of measures through which TU Braunschweig is responding to current developments in the world of work. Home offices, hybrid event formats, flexible working time models and remote working have long been part of everyday life, even at universities.

Employees can find the parent-child office in room 422 of the PVZ. They can book the room themselves via the Outlook calendar. The office is suitable for children of all ages. Baby toys and a play mat are available for the little ones, and there are numerous other activities for children aged around two to six. Older children can play with building blocks, painting supplies and larger puzzles. A Tripp Trapp chair also ensures flexible use when feeding. A folding bed is also available for small children to sleep in. For older children, the play sofa offers a place to rest.

In addition to the parent-child office in the PVZ, there is a similar room on the main campus known as the “Still.Bar”. Further parent-and-child rooms can be found at Faculty 6 and at the research airport. “The institutes are also happy to set up their own parent-child offices, the existence of which is not always known to everyone. It is always worth asking if such a facility is currently available. The Family Office is happy to provide support and advice on setting up a new room, as we did at the PVZ,” says Anne-Christin Eggers from the Family Office at TU Braunschweig.