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KNAUER CEOs confident for 2024 (Photo: Amin Akhtar)
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New office building opposite the KNAUER main building (Photo: KNAUER)
KNAUER, who produce high-tech laboratory systems in Berlin and sell them worldwide, already have many good news to report at the start of the year regarding economic data, equality, awards, and working hours and wages. The 190-strong team achieved a new turnover record in 2023. For the second year in a row, turnover was well over 40 million euros.
Innovative products such as the systems for pharmaceutical lipid nanoparticle research and production are an important prerequisite for such success. With new devices for laboratory automation in the pipeline, KNAUER sees itself well positioned for 2024.
To keep pace with the increase in production, KNAUER is investing in expanding its capacities at the site. Shortly before the turn of the year, the extensive renovation of the neighboring building at Hegauer Weg 37 was completed with almost 400 square meters of new office space. With the relocation of the Marketing, HR, Quality & Environment and Accounting departments on January 3, more space was gained for production in the main building.
The year also got off to an extremely positive start at KNAUER in terms of equality, as the annual calculation of the gender pay gap resulted in an income difference of just 0.3%, which is practically a precision landing. The company's "Equal Pay Day" therefore fell on January 2, 2024. By comparison, the pay gap calculated from data from the Federal Statistical Office was still 18% for Germany in 2023. The official Equal Pay Day in Germany is therefore not until March 6, 2024.
How does a company like KNAUER, which was even able to report a wage advantage of 1.3 percent for its female employees in 2023, manage to be so close to the ideal of equal pay for women and men?
Head of Human Resources Management Katharina Pohl: "Since 2019, the unadjusted gender pay gap has been an annual key figure for us, which is an indicator of pay fairness. There are several reasons why we achieve such good results here. Firstly, half of our managers are female and secondly, we pay attention to the salary development of all people in the various teams. Nobody is forgotten just because he or she might not like negotiating or is modest."
All employees should benefit from the company's success, which is why they can look forward to a gross bonus of EUR 6,000 in 2024. The management is convinced that everyone in the company makes an important contribution to the company's success, which is why the bonus amount is deliberately not dependent on the employee's salary.
In line with the trend of the time, working hours will be reduced from 40 to 38 hours from January 1, 2024 in the company's 62nd year. This corresponds to a reduction in working hours of 25 minutes per day, or 12 days per year in arithmetical terms.
In addition to the reduction in working hours, salaries for full-time employees will be increased by 3% from the beginning of the year. The working hours of part-time employees will not be reduced any further, so they can look forward to a corresponding salary increase of 8%.
Since employees in production and CNC machining cannot benefit from flexible working hours and a home office option, a solution was sought to compensate for these employees working alternating two-shift operations. Since January 1, 2024, they have received a tax-free supplement of 25% for late shifts.
On January 2, there was even more reason to be happy, because entrepreneur Alexandra Knauer was in the running for the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper's "Berliner of the Year" award. Every year, many nominations are submitted and a jury decides which personality is shortlisted for the title. Alexandra Knauer was one of the 10 finalists on January 2, alongside conductor Daniel Barenboim and actor/theater manager Dieter Hallervorden, for example. She was delighted that Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer was honored with the title, who is doing an incredible job to raise awareness about the Holocaust even at her old age. Alexandra Knauer herself was awarded the Berlin State Order of Merit on October 1, 2023.
According to business magazine WirtschaftsWoche's major annual rating, KNAUER was the most innovative medium-sized company in Germany in both 2022 and 2023. Innovation and sustainability are not only very important to the two managing directors Alexandra Knauer and Carsten Losch, but also to most employees in their daily work. Their success also makes it easier for the company to recruit and retain employees. With so much to be positive about, it is no wonder that laboratory equipment specialist KNAUER is looking to 2024 with confidence.
More information about KNAUER at: www.knauer.net
More about the Equal Pay Day action day at: www.equalpayday.de
KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH, Hegauer Weg 38, 14163 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 809727-0, +49 30 8015010 (Fax), info@knauer.net, www.knauer.net
Press contact: Oliver Gültzow, gueltzow@knauer.net, +49 30 809727-43