It seems the all work and no play adage has influenced mighty Daimler AG too. Recognizing that a balance between work and an employee’s life beyond the work impacts on productivity as a whole, Daimler commissioned a study from the department of Occupational and Organizational Psychology at the University of Heidelberg to assess and take advantage of work-life balance opportunities for the company.

According to Wilfried Porth, Management Board Member for Human Resources and Labor Relations Director: “Our world of work is facing fundamental changes. More and more employees, both men and women, want fulfillment in their careers while also being able to take care of their children or other dependents. Daimler aims to actively respond to and manage these challenges at our company.”

To this end, Erich Klemm, Chairman of Daimler AG’s General Works Council says that “We have already opened up good work-life balance opportunities for employees through  trailblazing company agreements. We want to continue in this direction with a view to the inclusion of all employee groups. Moreover, the leadership culture must be further developed on a sustained basis in order to ensure that employees can make use of the available possibilities with the active support of management.“

This undertaking by the company is not the result of some sudden revelation from the head honchos of Daimler. Back in 2009, management had realized the fundamental importance of Life Balance for the performance of the workforce, and Daimler decided then to align its HR strategy with the latest scientific findings, agreeing to a long-term collaboration with the University of Heidelberg.