By becoming involved in several initiatives, BaFin is taking a stand for diversity and equal opportunities. In early July 2022, BaFin President Mark Branson signed the Diversity Charter (“Charta der Vielfalt”), a corporate initiative to promote diversity in companies and institutions. By becoming a signatory, BaFin undertakes to create an open and tolerant work environment in which all employees are respected and valued, regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnic background, religion, age, disability, family situation or sexual orientation.

“Equal opportunities and equal treatment are vitally important for BaFin. By signing the Diversity Charter, we are sending a signal of tolerance, openness and freedom of choice – not just for our employees but in society, too,” Branson explained. BaFin’s Head of Human Resources Lars Molsen highlighted that the supervisory authority will continue to actively campaign for diversity in future, too. “For us, signing the Diversity Charter is a first step to address every key aspect of diversity – such as ethnic background, age, sexual orientation or religion – in an even more structured way.“ Petra Zellner, BaFin’s Representative for People with Severe Disabilities, stressed the importance of setting the right working conditions when it comes to diversity. “A more inclusive environment strengthens the self-determination of people with disabilities and makes BaFin a more attractive employer. One key aspect to achieve this is to create a work environment that is free of prejudice and in which every staff member is respected and valued.”

Promoting diversity and equal opportunities in Europe

BaFin is advocating for diversity and equal opportunities at the European level, too. For instance, BaFin is one of the initiators and signatories to the ESCB & SSM Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter. By signing the Charter, the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and many supervisory authorities that are part of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) for banks in the euro area have shown their commitment to diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion. The European Central Bank presented the Charter in Frankfurt on 26 July 2022. BaFin staff members made a significant contribution towards its development.

“Diversity, inclusion and fair treatment without discrimination are fundamental European values,” Molsen emphasised. “We promise our employees to create a workplace that is free of discrimination, and this should also apply to the European environment that they work in, of course.”

Reconciling family and working life

Creating good conditions for reconciling family and working life is just as important for BaFin. This is why it has joined the “Family as a Factor for Success” (“Erfolgsfaktor Familie”) network. The employers who have joined the network have undertaken, to the extent possible, to make concrete offers for employees so that they can balance their personal and professional lives more easily.

Anja Reiß, who has recently been re-elected as BaFin’s Gender Equality Officer, highlighted the many different ways in which employers can use the network to share and obtain information about what they can do to offer a good work-life balance. “This is a key factor for success because job seekers expect more than a career and money nowadays. Doing work that matters is what they want above all. Flexibility and a healthy work-life balance are also more important than they were 10-15 years ago.”

“These values are part of our DNA”

Molsen emphasised that these initiatives for more diversity, equal opportunities and a better work-life balance are more than just words on paper. “These values are part of our DNA, and we can document and prove this, too,” said BaFin’s Head of HR. Gender Equality Officer Reiß referred to BaFin’s employee survey as one example, which showed that BaFin’s flexible work arrangements and approach to achieve a good work-life balance were met with high approval.