A recent study by the Bertelsmann Foundation indicates that German employers infrequently highlight family-friendly policies in their job advertisements. The comprehensive analysis of approximately eight million job postings from 2024, building on data collected since 2018, reveals a gap between advertised workplace flexibility and concrete support for balancing work and family life.
The ability for prospective employees to determine their working hours or scope is cited in 37.8 percent of advertisements. Explicitly family-friendly benefits, however, appear in only 16.4 percent of cases and are predominantly found in professions with a high proportion of female employees. Twelve percent of employers state a commitment to work-life balance, while just 2.7 percent offer assistance with childcare.
Flexible working arrangements beyond determining hours are also limited, with only 14 percent of ads allowing applicants to independently choose their work volume. A quarter (25 percent) of companies permit employees to distribute their weekly working hours flexibly according to their needs.
Job advertisements frequently outline expectations of future employees. Eighteen percent of postings specify a requirement for a high degree of “flexibility” in daily work and twelve percent necessitate shift work. Almost eight percent request willingness to travel, while 3.6 percent anticipate availability outside of standard hours, such as weekend work or on-call duty.
Significant discrepancies emerge when comparing job postings in professions traditionally dominated by women versus those dominated by men. Notably, opportunities to determine work volume are far more common in advertisements for roles typically held by women – appearing in nearly a quarter (24 percent) of ads for professions like geriatric care or social work – compared to just seven percent in male-dominated fields. Advertisements in female-dominated sectors also more frequently mention work-life balance and predictable work schedules.
Conversely, expectations outlined in advertisements targeting men-dominated professions often pose challenges for prospective employees seeking to reconcile work and family responsibilities. Job advertisements for roles with a high male representation are shown to have higher demands on working time – 18.6 percent – compared to 13.9 percent in female-dominated professions, specifically regarding shift work or being on-call. A corresponding disparity is also evident concerning mobility requirements.