An interview with a new AVR site representative

Justine Frank, an Order and Distribution Manager at Kaiseraugst, has been a new member of the AVR Committee since December. She is one of four newcomers elected at the end of November. Justine is 32, lives in Frenkendorf and holds a B.A. in Spanish language and literature and a senior school teaching diploma. She answered our questions on behalf of all the new representatives.

You’ve just completed your first three months as an AVR site representative. How did they go?
Justine Frank: Thanks to the support of the AVR team and the people I work with, I’ve been able to settle into my new role. Because the AVR operates a mentoring system, one of the old hands took me under their wing and introduced me to the world of the AVR, which was important in helping me find my bearings and enabling me to make an active contribution as quickly as possible.

Have you done any working group work or helped advise any employees yet?
I’m going to be an alternate on the Board of Trustees of the Supplementary Pension Scheme, and I think that’s going to be a very interesting role for me within the AVR.
I’ve also been able to get a bit of experience of advising employees. This is an area where it’s really important for the AVR to offer professional assistance, so for that reason newcomers get training. That way we can really do the job properly.

What was your motivation for getting involved in the AVR on top of your job at Roche?Roche’s culture has changed a lot in recent years. Reorganisations are becoming ever more frequent, and change keeps coming at an ever-faster pace. In the face of all this, Roche employees need effective support. These are the moments when humanity and mutual respect really need to be tangible.
Besides that, I’m a Change Agent at Kaiseraugst, which means I’m the go-between for staff and the leadership team. I’d like to make the experience I’ve gained in this role available to all Roche employees, as well as to my team.

Your father was in the AVR before you. In fact, he was even President! Is he the role model for your work in the AVR?
Of course. I saw at first hand how he put his heart and soul into the AVR, and want to follow in his footsteps. The AVR has achieved a lot, not only with my father as President, but also under its current President, Adnan Tanglay. Now it’s important for us to build on that. The AVR needs to make its presence felt more.

Talking of which, what areas do you think the AVR needs to be stronger in?
I think we could do even more for employees in the fifty-plus age group who are affected by reorganisations. There are obviously redundancy schemes. But I don't think these are sufficient, because they only cover the financial aspect and don’t provide long-term security. In addition, there’s the option of substitution retirement, which I think is a good thing, but used too rarely owing to the restriction. For that reason, it’s my view that we should find other ways and means here.

What skills and experience can you contribute personally to the AVR?
First of all, an extensive network, because I used to have holiday jobs at Roche when I was at school and university, so I got to know a lot of people back then. Secondly, I speak fluent German, English, Spanish and French, which means a lot of employees can come to me without there being a language barrier. I’m communicative, people see me as trustworthy – which is particularly important if you're handling HR cases – and my connection with my father makes me “second-generation AVR”, so to speak. With all that, I feel I can bring fresh impetus and new ideas.

What goals would you like to achieve in the AVR?
I’d like to work on new ideas with the Committee to ensure that we’re constantly evolving. At the same time, I’d like to increase the clout that the AVR has with Roche management further. Above all, though, I really want people to know that they can approach us at any time with their questions, worries and suggestions, safe in the knowledge that they can count on our support.