HZB re-certified as a compatibility-friendly company again
The new audit logo for long-time certified companies © berufundfamilie Service GmbH
HZB has been certified as a family-friendly employer since 2011. Now the research centre has successfully completed the re-auditing process and developed further measures to promote a life phase conscious working culture. The certificate is considered a seal of quality for the company's compatibility policy and is awarded by the board of trustees of berufundfamilie Service GmbH.
In autumn 2020, HZB conducted an employee survey which showed that most employees are aware of and appreciate the numerous options HZB offers: flexible working hours, mobile working, part-time models, advice and practical help for employees with care responsibilities or small children.
At the same time, the survey made it clear that the needs of many employees in terms of compatibility have increased - not only, but also because of Corona. The need for support, especially for people with family responsibilities, has increased in the past year. Anja Seehrich, who heads the Office for Work and Life (OWL) at HZB, has also noticed this in her consultations. "Most are glad to work at HZB because they can count on a lot of understanding and practical support here."
Over the next three years, HZB will establish further measures that employees and managers worked out together. These include, among other things, reviewing the existing rules on home office, management guidelines and raising awareness of mental and physical diseases.
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- BESSY II: How pulsed charging enhances the service time of batteriesAn improved charging protocol might help lithium-ion batteries to last much longer. Charging with a high-frequency pulsed current reduces ageing effects, an international team demonstrated. The study was led by Philipp Adelhelm (HZB and Humboldt University) in collaboration with teams from the Technical University of Berlin and Aalborg University in Denmark. Experiments at the X-ray source BESSY II were particularly revealing.
- Fuel Cells: Oxidation processes of phosphoric acid revealed by tender X-raysThe interactions between phosphoric acid and the platinum catalyst in high-temperature PEM fuel cells are more complex than previously assumed. Experiments at BESSY II with tender X-rays have decoded the multiple oxidation processes at the platinum-electrolyte interface. The results indicate that variations in humidity can influence some of these processes in order to increase the lifetime and efficiency of fuel cells.