Reconciliation of Work and Family Life

We value highly the compatibility of having both a family and a career and we strive to make this possible at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. We support our employees in various ways, whether you are in the stage of planning a family or need to make arrangements for child care.

Planning a family

When a female employee who is based in a laboratory becomes pregnant we work on an individual solution to allow her to continue her scientific work without endangering herself or her child.

Many of our researchers take the state-funded parental leave ("Elternzeit", up to 12 months, online applications for parental allowance in Berlin) when they have a child. We encourage both men and women to take advantage of this time with their growing family and help them reintegrate into their work environment after their return.

Parents of small children

To ease the return to work of parents with small children we have a designated family office (0.3.07, at the main entrance, before you get to the front desk), where you can breastfeed your child and do computer-based work while your child plays in our lovingly decorated play area. A changing facility is also available. The room is stocked with toys suitable for children from approx. age 0 - 9. Any institute key will open this door and you may use the room without registration. Please, however, mark your attendance in the list on the door.

For special events at the institute, such as summer schools and conferences, we offer child care to allow parents to participate fully. When a parent has to travel for work, we can contribute financial aid for child care on an individual basis.

Child care and elder care

You can find an overview of the family and social benefits to which you are entitled in different situations of your life such as after birth of a child or if you take care of relatives, by using the information tool and the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ).

We offer our support when employees are looking for permanent child care places for their children. For example, we have made arrangements with several child care facilities for 1-6-year-olds in the vicinity of the institute that provide places for our employees' children.

The Max Planck Society also has a contract with the pme Familienservice GmbH which is a platform for connecting seekers and providers of child and elder care. Employees can use this platform without charge but pay for the services found through it.