For me, family and career fit together perfectly

Christine Brunner works part-time. Even so, this administrative employee at Pfeifer’s Kundl site is a highly valued, indispensable member of the team. The mother of a 13-year-old daughter repays her employer’s flexibility with loyalty and full commitment.

For 25 hours a week, this administrative expert handles a wide range of demanding tasks from her modern, new office on the Kundl works site. She records operational data, processes incoming post, does preparatory work for accounting and payroll, and keeps track of working hours and holiday entitlements. Thanks to her extensive experience, this administrative all-rounder can also step in for other departments whenever she’s needed.

Frau im schwarzen Blazer arbeitet lächelnd an einem Bürocomputer

From apprentice to sought-after all-rounder

That expertise didn’t come out of nowhere: Christine Brunner has spent almost her entire working life at Pfeifer. After a brief stint in the travel agency business, she began training as an office administrator in Kundl in 1995. Her relationship with Pfeifer felt valued right from the start, she recalls: “I got to spend a day trying out my future role, and the very next day I was told I could start the apprenticeship straight away. From that point on, I learned every part of the site from the ground up and grew steadily deeper into administrative work.”

Lächelnde Mitarbeiterin am Schreibtisch telefoniert mit einem Festnetztelefon vor einem Computerbildschirm

I have Pfeifer’s assurance that I can go back to full-time work whenever I want to.

Christine Brunner
Administrative Expert, Kundl

Parental leave, yes – a career setback, no

After passing her final apprenticeship exam with excellent results, Christine Brunner was taken on full-time, carrying out her job with meticulous care and enthusiasm, and enjoying her supervisors’ full trust. Even a two-year break to have her baby didn’t change that. “I stayed home with my young daughter for two years and then went back to work part-time as a parent. In 2018, I increased my hours from 20 to 25 a week. Pfeifer accommodated my changing needs every time, without any issues at all,” says Brunner, pleased that even as a part-time employee she’s a full member of the team with the same development opportunities as her full-time colleagues.

The much-talked-about work-life balance is definitely something I have.

Flexibility is everything

Working parents, mothers especially, really appreciate flexible working hours. When a child falls ill overnight, or childcare needs to be arranged for the school holidays, an understanding employer takes a great deal of stress out of the situation. “I’m very grateful that we always find a solution together, even for short-notice matters. Mothers at Pfeifer are also given preference when it comes to holiday planning. That’s why, for me, family and career fit together perfectly, and I never see my job as a burden – quite the opposite, it’s a huge enrichment.”

Invaluable expertise

Conversely, an employee as long-serving and reliable as Christine Brunner is also a real asset for Pfeifer – whether it’s the conscientious, independent way she handles her tasks or the way she trains new staff. After 25 years with the company, Brunner feels deeply personally invested in it – almost as if it were her own. “Doing the bare minimum just isn’t in my nature. I repay the excellent working conditions with absolute loyalty and a strong willingness to pitch in – for example, I’ll happily step in even during my own holiday if someone at the company is unavailable. This give and take has proven its worth for both sides.”