DP World Antwerp is 100th company to sign family-friendly organization charter

As the 100th company, DP World signed the "Family-friendly Organization" Charter of the Family Association (Gezinsbond)

100 organizations, accounting for nearly 130,000 employees, announced themselves as a family-friendly organization through a campaign of the Flemish Family Association (Gezinsbond). They take family-friendly measures for staff to be able to combine work and family better and are prepared to work on new initiatives in the future. The 100th signatory, port company DP World Antwerp, organized a family day for all staff members and signed the Family Charter campaign charter. The Family Association hopes that more companies will sign the Charter and get started with family-friendly measures and tips.

DP World: "We want to support families in the workplace"

DP World, one of the largest container terminals in the port of Antwerp with 800 employees, was the 100th company to sign the Family Friendly campaign charter. Almost half of the staff are dock workers. With its own campaign and the signing of the Family Association Charter, DP World wants to better support families in the workplace and attract more women.

"There is still a perception that working in the port is heavy, rough and dangerous. This image is not right. The port offers opportunities to develop a good work-life balance and build a strong future for families. There are many dock workers taking care of the children, so family-friendly measures are also important to them. Attracting more women is a key element of the DP World group strategy. Measures like flexible working hours and teleworking are good for both men and women. DP World also tries to involve the family with the working area, for example by organizing family trips and a family day at the terminal. Our bicycle leasing project makes it easier for employees to get to and from work and is a family-friendly measure as well. DP World is a leader in the ports of Antwerp concerning measures to improve and increase safety in the workplace. We also want to be leading as a family-friendly company, "says Hugo De Bie, HR director DP World Antwerp.

Measures taken by companies are very different

"A lot of companies are already taking family-friendly measures according to a survey amongst the companies and organizations that signed our campaign charter. The measures that companies take are various and tailored to different target groups: for young dads who participate in caretaking or household, for parents who look after their parents or a child with a disability, or grandparents who occasionally take care of grandchildren, "says Anneke Blanckaert, director of marketing and communication of the Family Association.

Even more companies are taking family-friendly measures

The 'Family at Work' campaign of the Family Association is still running. On the website www.gezinophetwerk.be companies will find tips and best practices to get started. Companies with a family-friendly staff policy can also sign the charter to make themselves even more visible to their staff and to new employees and customers. "Most family-friendly measures do not cost money. Often it comes down to introducing a tailor-made solution for the employee: more flexibility in working hours, in leave, enabling telecommuting, responding positively to family expansion, etc. There are, of course, also measures that do cost money: a contribution to daycare, a few days of paid family leave, a birth gift, an ironing service or a day care center ... Every company has to make a balance between the needs of employees and the possibilities of the organization," Anneke Blanckaert concludes.