In order to help our employees achieve a good work-life balance, and avoid burn-out, we explicitly promote flexible work models. We have set out this orientation in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group Policy. The options we offer our employees in Germany range from flexitime and part-time to lifetime work accounts.
Promoting part-time work We support the establishment of part-time jobs and guarantee employees in Germany the possibility to return to their original weekly working hours. Subject to operational requirements, employees are permitted to reduce their working hours as they wish. In addition, they may terminate their part-time work at any time, even earlier than originally planned. About 14 percent of employees covered by collective agreements, and 17.7 percent of civil servants, are making use of part-time arrangements (as of Dec. 31, 2022). In addition, a total of 29 executives are working part-time (as of Dec, 31, 2022).
Mobile working Thanks to modern communications technology, in many different fields we can work when and where we wish. Mobile working has been firmly established at Deutsche Telekom. Our employees can organize their work locations flexibly, a right we enshrined in our collective agreement on mobile working concluded with the ver.di union back in 2016. Needless to say, they do not have to be available to the company at all times, meaning they do not have to stay reachable after working hours, during vacation, or on weekends. Mobile working is also possible in many of our national companies.
Part-time training Under certain circumstances, apprentices at Deutsche Telekom can take their training on a part-time basis. Also, dual students, including students who are single parents, have the option of completing their cooperative study program on a part-time basis.
Remaining in contact during parental leave Via our “Stay in contacT” parental-leave process, we give employees the option to stay in contact with the company and their colleagues. They thus stay abreast of what’s happening at Deutsche Telekom, and they continue to feel connected to their team. In addition, their re-entry into the workplace becomes easier to plan. Via the “Stay in contacT” online network, they can discuss and learn about topics such as work-life balance and re-entry into the workplace.
Lifetime work accounts and leave of absence The majority of employees in Germany can set up a lifetime work account in order to implement their personal life plan. Such accounts can be used to accumulate credit by means of gross deferred compensation or by conversion of up to 80 overtime hours per year. In total, we have set up 15 000 accounts for employees and 740 accounts for civil servants (as of Dec. 31, 2022). The credit can be used for a sabbatical, earlier retirement, or a top-up for a part-time salary. Employees also have the option of taking unpaid leave – for example, in order to care for their children, or to accept paid work with a different employer.
Leave of absence for personal reasons Employees have the option of requesting leave of absence at short notice for special reasons, after consulting with, and obtaining the approval of, their manager. This option is available, for example, for employees who need to serve as caregivers for family members or to take care of sick children. During the individually agreed period, employees are exempted from the performance of their duties. Pay is suspended after five days at the latest. All other aspects of the employment relationship remain unaffected.
Time off for education Time off for education is based on the current offer of unpaid leave and makes it possible for employees in Germany to take up to four years off for a degree course or a doctorate. The employment contract is put on hold during this time and the employee does not receive any pay. Civil servants employed at the company can also take advantage of this offer in the form of a “leave of absence without pay for reasons of private interest.” This time does not apply to their pension and no remuneration is paid.
The 80:20 model Since 2017, we have been using the 80:20 model to give our employees the opportunity to spend part of their working time on projects outside of their usual remit. This allows them to work with teams from other units. Use of the model is voluntary and is tied to a specific Group project.
Phased retirement We offer a phased retirement model to our employees in Germany who are 55 or older. Separate regulations apply to employees and to civil servants. There are two options for phased retirement: the block model or the part-time model. During the reporting year, a total of 1 766 phased retirement contracts were concluded with employees both covered and not covered by collective agreements. For civil servants, 523 such contracts were signed (as of Dec. 31, 2022).
Underlying regulations Our working time models are based on the laws and regulations applicable in the individual countries. Working hours at Deutsche Telekom in Germany are governed by collective agreements and works agreements. We document the daily working hours of our employees covered by collective agreements by means of electronic time recording in MyPortal or via the EmployeeApp. This guarantees compliance with legal and company regulations; for example, it ensures that the weekly working hours for a specific flexitime balancing period are complied with. At a large corporation like Deutsche Telekom, regulations are diverse and cannot be fully specified for all the Group companies.
FreiRaum – better quality of life through flexible working hours The FreiRaum (leeway) working time model at T-Systems was extended through the year 2023 as part of the 2022 collective bargaining negotiations. The ver.di union and T-Systems reached agreement on this model in the previous year, which is offered to all employees at T-Systems International GmbH: Employees who work a five-day week can get up to 12 additional days off per calendar year. For employees who use this option, the employee’s salary is reduced proportionately, and T-Systems provides partial compensation for the reduction. FreiRaum, which complements existing flexible working-time models, thus gives employees more time to invest in their quality of life. Some 500 employees made use of this model in the reporting year.
Our contribution to the SDGs
In order to help our employees achieve a good work-life balance, and avoid burn-out, we explicitly promote flexible work models. We have set out this orientation in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group Policy. The options we offer our employees in Germany range from flexitime and part-time to lifetime work accounts.
Promoting part-time work
We support the establishment of part-time jobs and guarantee employees in Germany the possibility to return to their original weekly working hours. Subject to operational requirements, employees are permitted to reduce their working hours as they wish. In addition, they may terminate their part-time work at any time, even earlier than originally planned. About 14 percent of employees covered by collective agreements, and 17.7 percent of civil servants, are making use of part-time arrangements (as of Dec. 31, 2022). In addition, a total of 29 executives are working part-time (as of Dec, 31, 2022).
Mobile working
Thanks to modern communications technology, in many different fields we can work when and where we wish. Mobile working has been firmly established at Deutsche Telekom. Our employees can organize their work locations flexibly, a right we enshrined in our collective agreement on mobile working concluded with the ver.di union back in 2016. Needless to say, they do not have to be available to the company at all times, meaning they do not have to stay reachable after working hours, during vacation, or on weekends. Mobile working is also possible in many of our national companies.
Part-time training
Under certain circumstances, apprentices at Deutsche Telekom can take their training on a part-time basis. Also, dual students, including students who are single parents, have the option of completing their cooperative study program on a part-time basis.
Remaining in contact during parental leave
Via our “Stay in contacT” parental-leave process, we give employees the option to stay in contact with the company and their colleagues. They thus stay abreast of what’s happening at Deutsche Telekom, and they continue to feel connected to their team. In addition, their re-entry into the workplace becomes easier to plan. Via the “Stay in contacT” online network, they can discuss and learn about topics such as work-life balance and re-entry into the workplace.
Lifetime work accounts and leave of absence
The majority of employees in Germany can set up a lifetime work account in order to implement their personal life plan. Such accounts can be used to accumulate credit by means of gross deferred compensation or by conversion of up to 80 overtime hours per year. In total, we have set up 15 000 accounts for employees and 740 accounts for civil servants (as of Dec. 31, 2022). The credit can be used for a sabbatical, earlier retirement, or a top-up for a part-time salary. Employees also have the option of taking unpaid leave – for example, in order to care for their children, or to accept paid work with a different employer.
Leave of absence for personal reasons
Employees have the option of requesting leave of absence at short notice for special reasons, after consulting with, and obtaining the approval of, their manager. This option is available, for example, for employees who need to serve as caregivers for family members or to take care of sick children. During the individually agreed period, employees are exempted from the performance of their duties. Pay is suspended after five days at the latest. All other aspects of the employment relationship remain unaffected.
Time off for education
Time off for education is based on the current offer of unpaid leave and makes it possible for employees in Germany to take up to four years off for a degree course or a doctorate. The employment contract is put on hold during this time and the employee does not receive any pay. Civil servants employed at the company can also take advantage of this offer in the form of a “leave of absence without pay for reasons of private interest.” This time does not apply to their pension and no remuneration is paid.
The 80:20 model
Since 2017, we have been using the 80:20 model to give our employees the opportunity to spend part of their working time on projects outside of their usual remit. This allows them to work with teams from other units. Use of the model is voluntary and is tied to a specific Group project.
Phased retirement
We offer a phased retirement model to our employees in Germany who are 55 or older. Separate regulations apply to employees and to civil servants. There are two options for phased retirement: the block model or the part-time model. During the reporting year, a total of 1 766 phased retirement contracts were concluded with employees both covered and not covered by collective agreements. For civil servants, 523 such contracts were signed (as of Dec. 31, 2022).
Underlying regulations
Our working time models are based on the laws and regulations applicable in the individual countries. Working hours at Deutsche Telekom in Germany are governed by collective agreements and works agreements. We document the daily working hours of our employees covered by collective agreements by means of electronic time recording in MyPortal or via the EmployeeApp. This guarantees compliance with legal and company regulations; for example, it ensures that the weekly working hours for a specific flexitime balancing period are complied with. At a large corporation like Deutsche Telekom, regulations are diverse and cannot be fully specified for all the Group companies.
FreiRaum – better quality of life through flexible working hours
Reporting against standardsThe FreiRaum (leeway) working time model at T-Systems was extended through the year 2023 as part of the 2022 collective bargaining negotiations. The ver.di union and T-Systems reached agreement on this model in the previous year, which is offered to all employees at T-Systems International GmbH: Employees who work a five-day week can get up to 12 additional days off per calendar year. For employees who use this option, the employee’s salary is reduced proportionately, and T-Systems provides partial compensation for the reduction. FreiRaum, which complements existing flexible working-time models, thus gives employees more time to invest in their quality of life. Some 500 employees made use of this model in the reporting year.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)