Attractive worktime schemes at vonrickenbach.swiss ag.
14 out of 33 employees work part-time at vonrickenbach.swiss ag.
vonrickenbach.swiss ag in Muotathal SZ has offered the possibility of part-time work for over 30 years. This is very popular with employees. Thomas von Rickenbach, owner and managing director of vonrickenbach.swiss ag, knows that not only the employees benefit from this, but also the company.
Part-time working time model
Flexible working hours and a reduction in working time allow employees to reconcile work and family life or to spend more time on extra-curricular activities. However, it is not only the employees who benefit from this, but also the employers. For employers, the advantages are not just that productivity and motivation are often higher because of part-time employment, but that it can also be variably adapted to the needs of the company and the employees and can be used to cover off-peak times or peaks in workload.
Part-time employees a well-proven concept since 30 years
Around one third of our employees at vonrickenbach.swiss ag work part-time. We have been using the part-time working model for over 30 years. Even back then, we had employees who worked part-time for us in addition to their jobs, especially in agriculture. Particularly in the busy summer months, farmers were dependent on smaller working hours. The subject of part-time work was intensified a good seven years ago when we received an order from Victorinox that required large numbers of wooden knife handles be manually fine ground and oiled. To ensure that not just one person was responsible for this repetitive and time-consuming work, we divided the work among several people.
Today, five employees work for such or similar jobs with a workload of 10 to 20 per cent on variable working days and hourly wages. In production, two people work 80 per cent, one 90 per cent and one irregularly 30 to 40 per cent.
But part-time employees are not only found in production, but also in other departments such as planning and administration. For family reasons, one of our project managers is employed at 80 per cent and works one day from his home office. If this possibility did not exist, we might have lost him as a valuable employee. In the administration office, two staff members share the tasks of accounting and human resources at 40 and 50 per cent each.
Home office and flexitime
In addition to the part-time working model, we also offer home office and flexible working hours. Even before Corona, we optimised our computer infrastructure for home office use. During the pandemic we could benefit from the fact that these structures were already in place. Today, the barrier to work from home has been lowered as a result. Two years ago, we also introduced flexible working hours.
In the morning, everyone starts at the same time, but lunchtime and closing time can be freely chosen within fixed time windows. For example, if someone only takes a short lunch break, they can leave work earlier in the evening. In doing so, we have met the need of employees who have longer working commutes and who can thus reduce transfer times. However, this flexibility in working hours requires good communication among employees so that teams still function, and productivity is not affected.
Challenges for companies
Pros and cons of part-time work
Part-time work does not only have advantages for the employer. First, part-time work results in additional expenses due to an increase in personnel costs, administrative expenses, and workplace costs. Managing two half-time employees is more time-consuming than managing one full-time employee. Also, the effort for coordination and communication is much higher and more complicated. It is important to keep all part-time employees informed about important events in the company so that they are always on the same page as the full-time employees.
The positive aspects outweigh the negative
Although the cost of employing part-time staff increases, the positive aspects of this working time model outweigh the negative and enable us to position ourselves well in a competitive market. A large part of our funds is regularly spent on the renewal of machinery and infrastructure. Administrative expenses and personnel costs must therefore be kept as low as possible, as well as the expenses for production planning and actual production. We can handle peaks in orders on time by increasing the number of employees who are employed on a part-time basis. Thanks to this flexibility, we can do without expensive temporary staff. In addition, thanks to flexible working hours, we can extend machine utilisation.
Contemporary employer
vonrickenbach.swiss ag is an innovative and modern employer that can respond to the needs of applicants and existing employees. The desire for more flexibility is not always just about having more free time for hobbies, but also to be more involved in the family.
The role image of men and women has changed a lot in recent years and will change further, also in rural regions. More women would like to work, and men wish to spend more time with their children.
vonrickenbach.swiss ag – a family business
vonrickenbach.swiss ag is a family-owned company with around 30 well-qualified employees. It is our aim to keep up with the constant changes in the working environment to remain successful in the market and to offer talented, highly motivated employees a modern environment in which they can develop their skills.
Thomas von Rickenbach
Owner and Managing Director
