Globegarden: Independent experts confirm correct business
An independent review of the care and working conditions as well as the internal processes, initiated by globegarden in response to largely anonymous allegations, comes to a clear conclusion:
There are no indications of deception or systematic disregard of regulatory requirements by the daycare operator. Despite the corona pandemic, globegarden will continue to invest in employees and the quality of care in the current year.
As already announced in February, the Zurich-based law firm “Niederer Kraft Frey”, which specializes in internal audits, has been commissioned by the globegarden management to carry out an independent review of internal processes and procedures, the care and working conditions and other aspects. At this point already, the management announced that it would communicate the results in any case. Globegarden reacted to the allegations made by the online magazine “Republik” at the beginning of the year, which unfortunately were often accepted unchecked by other media and individual representatives of the industry.
The current 54 facilities of the provider across Switzerland are already regularly checked by the authorities without any serious complaints. In addition, globegarden has been voluntarily certified by TÜV Süd, which awards the “International Education Excellence” label across Europe, since 2010, long before any corresponding opportunities in Switzerland.
But with the audit we wanted to dispel any doubts, says Christina Mair, one of the three managing directors. Because these were directed not only against globegarden as a day nursery network and against the three managing directors, but also against the employees of globegarden as well as against authorities and supervisory departments in the individual local communities.
“Niederer Kraft Frey” has now completed the review. The findings of the experts are clear: the accusations raised or spread by the media are false, they cannot be substantiated, and there is also no evidence of deception by the supervisory authorities or of a systematic disregard of relevant requirements, especially when it comes to supervision or the working conditions.
- In particular, the Globegarden facilities are regularly checked by the authorities because of the size of the organization presumably more often than other smaller daycare centers unannounced and announced controlled.
- Globegarden adheres to the officially set requirements regarding teacher-child ratios
- Globegarden also treats staff appropriately and fairly in terms of labor law and does not injure any labor law provisions.
- In particular, globegarden pays employees at all levels significantly more than the childcare market wage requirements, wages are moreover paid regularly and punctually, the corresponding wage requirements are regularly checked by various external parties including Kantons and Tripartite Commission of the Bund.
- Globegarden offers its employees further advantageous employment conditions, including loyalty bonuses, fixed apprenticeship contracts for interns after they have passed their probationary period, 25 vacation days, significantly better daily sickness benefits insurance than required by law, longer notice periods, private accident insurance, half-fare card or training and further education offers. Globegarden receives high to very high levels of satisfaction rates from parents as well as employees at all levels. This is proven by regular representative, anonymous surveys.
- The quality and safety concepts, training courses and internal regulations are adhere to highest standards and they are checked regularly.
- After all, globegarden receives a good grades both from parents and from external test reports for the nutritional concept and the fact that the food is delivered by COOP and freshly prepared in their own kitchens by their own chefs.
The experts were given comprehensive access to all documents, correspondence as well as internal and external test reports, and were able to conduct interviews or visit facilities as they saw fit. They were neither hindered nor influenced in their work. The commercial law firm was selected because the allegations primarily also touched on regulatory and labor law aspects and so far there have been no relationships between it and globegarden.
“We are very relieved by these findings”, says Christina Mair. In view of the challenges posed by the corona pandemic, however, we now want to and must look ahead. The crisis made it clear that the childcare industry is systemically relevant. As a major childcare-network with centers in different cantons, in which COVID-regulations have been implemented differently, globegarden was particularly challenged. “So far, thanks to the enormous commitment of the employees and the enormous solidarity of the parents, we have mastered the crisis well”, says Co-Managing Director Caroline Staehelin. “In economic terms, however, we will face a lot of challenges in the next few months, despite the financial support from the public sector. We are doing everything we can to keep day nurseries open and to protect jobs. We also do not want to lower our high quality standards or the range of services.”
Agreed wage increases were carried out during the crisis, and apart from a few premature termination of probationary periods, there were no dismissals as a result of the pandemic. In the current year, long-term employees have also been promoted to newly created educational network and area managers, who will be primarily responsible for educational advice and quality assurance in the individual day care centers. These are supported by educational consultants and coaches depending on the situation.
Despite the corona pandemic, globegarden will again undergo an ISO 9001-certified quality check in the crèches by TÜV Süd in the next few months. "In this context, we welcome the new legal framework in the area of child and youth welfare, which, among other things, focuses on the quality management of daycare centers. Our clientele and our workforce are diverse, and thanks to the bilingualism of many facilities, we also have international parents and employees. That is why it is very important for us to meet Swiss standards, but also international demands on childcare. Our quality certification, which has been carried out for years, is internationally recognized and is particularly geared towards the educational program and the early years, which is what our customers appreciate and what is important to employees ", emphasizes Kristina Rebsamen, co-managing director.
Globegarden will have a new website this year that will emphasize the individuality of each individual daycare center more than before. “Our network includes forest day-care centers, day-care centers with a focus on nature, bilingual or monolingual day-care centers, company day-care centers, inner-city or neighborhood day-care centers, with or without gardens. We want to be able to show that better”, says Caroline Staehelin.
Ultimately, globegarden wants to keep growing. In November, a new daycare center will be opened in "The Circle" at Zurich Airport – a project close to the heart of the three founders who won the tender last year. “Our primary goal was, is and remains to put the well-being of the children entrusted to us above everything and at the same time to be able to offer parents the most comprehensive care possible at good locations. This offer is recognized and it is successful. It is very important to us in maintaining a constructive relationship with authorities and supervisory departments. We advocate for childcare controls and we face any objectively justified criticism”, emphasizes Mair.
The Executive Summary Report from “Niederer Kraft Frey” can be found at www.globegarden.ch
Contact:
Christina Mair, Tuesday, June 16, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., +41 76 817 80 16
presse@globegarden.org
Medienstelle Globegarden c/o KMES Partner
Markus Spillmann
