Potsdam-Institut 

für 

Klimafolgenforschung 

e. 

V.

Unternehmenskultur

In and of itself, everyone is very friendly with one another, but people are so isolated and often caught up in their own stress that they hardly interact with others

Communication works very well, but we mostly only meet online, which naturally means we often don’t get to know our colleagues very well and aren’t there for one another

Generally speaking, people are very friendly towards one another. Nevertheless, because so many contracts are temporary, there’s a constant coming and going, and everyone has their eye on the permanent positions, which are sometimes celebrated as if they were the jackpot. So, in a way, there’s also a constant undercurrent of competition.

As the employees themselves bear all the responsibility, there is a complete lack of boundaries in many areas. Working hours are excessive, leading to mental strain and illness. Unfortunately, everyone considers this normal and justifies it by citing the company’s reputation.

Superiors are often very friendly and eager to help. But they don’t do anything to address the underlying problems (extreme working hours, fixed-term contracts, and a severe lack of jobs after the time at PIK).

You work on very important issues and are at the heart of climate impact research. Sometimes, however, it is disappointing that your own findings have no political impact whatsoever. This frustrates a great many people and is not addressed collectively.