So glad you could join us

Welcome
So glad you could join us
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So glad you could join us | We would like to help you on your way
So glad you could join us | We would like to help you on your way
We would like to help you on your way
”The first step is always the hardest“ –
so people say. With this brochure we would
like to prove this saying wrong and help
you settle in quickly and easily at Aareal Bank
and in Wiesbaden.
Since the information on the following pages is intended for all our new
employees, some of you might already be familiar with some aspects.
Please bear in mind that what may seem obvious to you can be of real
help to your colleagues from places like the United States or Spain.
The amount and variety of information in this brochure ensures that there
will be something helpful for everyone.
We wish you a successful start!
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So glad you could join us | 14 good reasons to read on
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So glad you could join us | Your employment contract | When you arrive
14 good reasons to read on
1. Your employment contract
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9. Your good health!
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2. When you arrive
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10. Wiesbaden
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3. Your first day at work
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Onboarding, Human Resources
4. Your workplace in the bank
General information
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Culture, going out, cinema
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11. Mainz
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12. Frankfurt / Main
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Coffee, smoking
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Office supplies, phone calls
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13. Surrounding area
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Meals
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Rheingau, Rheinhessen
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Nahe Valley
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Vending machines, IT hotline, Intranet
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Continuing education
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Parking, travel expenses
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Works Council (Betriebsrat)
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14. More advice and support
Imprint
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6. Have you sorted out accommodation? 12
Finding an apartment, telephone
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Television/GEZ, utilities
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7. Getting around
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Bus, train
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Airport
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8. Official matters
You have already taken the most important step: we have received
your signed employment contract. Please submit any missing documents
as soon as possible – but no later than on your first day at work.
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Entering the building, flexible working hours
5. Health insurance
1. Your employment contract
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Citizens’ Advice Bureau (Bürgerbüro)
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Public Order Office (Ordnungsamt)
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Tax Office (Finanzamt)
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2. When you arrive
We have provided an online map to make it easier for you to
find your way around Wiesbaden. It also helps you to find us easily
(”www.aareal-bank.com/company/contact“).
So you have
arrived
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So glad you could join us | When you arrive | Your first day at work
So glad you could join us | Your workplace in the bank
3. Your first day at work
4. Your workplace in the bank
Lot will be happening on your first day at work. One very important
event will be ”onboarding“ – that’s what we call the reception for all our
new colleagues. We meet at the bank’s main entrance at the front of the
building.
You will certainly have some questions during the first few days. This
chapter should help you to cope with both everyday and special matters
at Paulinenstrasse 15. If you have any other questions, the Human
Resour­­ces division or your HR consultant will be happy to help you.
Onboarding
In the first part of onboarding, you will get to know Human Resources,
along with other colleagues, who are also just starting their new jobs.
Afterwards, you will go to your division, where you will meet your new
colleagues and be introduced to your new workplace.
Entering the building
The employee entrance is located at the side of the building next to the
canopied main entrance and is accessible via the external stairs.
Human Resources
The Human Resources division has already told you about the original
documents you have to bring. Information, e. g. about the bank’s
General Works Agreements, corporate pension plan, compensation and
appraisal system, and compliance regulations is available on the Intranet
at ”Career and Social Affairs“. You are kindly requested to shortly process
the online training to the German Equal Treatment Act.
Activate the revolving door by holding the Aareal chip card briefly in front
of the reader (at waist height in front of the entrance). If your chip card
does not work for any reason, you can, of course, enter the bank through
the main entrance at the front of the building.
Flexible working hours
If you work within the flexitime programme, you have to register your
working time every day.
The card reader is just to the right behind the revolving door. Activate the
reading mode by pressing the green arrow on the display, then hold
your chip card in front of the reader. The device beeps to confirm your
registration.
It also displays the balance on your flexitime account and your remaining
annual vacation entitlement. In the morning and again in the afternoon,
please press ”Kommen“ (arrive /check in) when you are entering or
”Gehen“ (leave /check out) when you are leaving. This also applies for
the beginning and the end of your lunch break.
Additional information about this device can be found on the bank’s
Intranet at ”Services / ESS/ Bedienungsanleitung Zeiterfassungs-Terminals
(Wiesbaden)“ (only available in German).
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So glad you could join us | Your workplace in the bank
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So glad you could join us | Your workplace in the bank
Under the national collective labour agreement, employees work 39 hours
per week. More information on flexible working hours can be found in the
bank’s General Works Agreement that is currently in force.
Coffee
There is a coffee vending machine resp. a hot water device on every second
floor. Help yourself using your Aareal chip card, onto which you must
load credit in advance. If the card is empty, it can be recharged at a special
machine on the ground floor, where the vending machines are located.
Smoking
Please be aware that the complete premises of Aareal Bank are a nosmoking zone. In case you can not do without smoking, kindly use the
designated areas outside the buildings. These areas are also mapped on
the site plan which you can find on the Intranet.
Office supplies
If you need office supplies, you can order them through the divisional
office which will deliver the supplies to you.
be deducted from your salary. To prevent long-distance calls by unauthorised persons (e. g. to aunts in America), please lock your telephone at the
end of the day by pressing the button ”Ausloggen“.
Phone calls
For telephone equipment kindly contact the department Telephone &
Hardware within the division IOS which is the coordinator for the telephone
system.
Meals
You can have lunch in the canteen between 11:45 a. m. and 1:45 p. m.
Currently, if you decide to opt into the scheme, presently € 56. 00 is
deducted for lunches from your salary each month – also, if you are sick
or on vacation.
When making phone calls, please note the following rules:
For business calls within the bank, dial the extension directly. For outside
calls, dial ”0“ for an outside line.
For personal phone calls, you have to enter your personal code number
which you will receive with your telephone – please keep it secret.
You can have free of charge calls within the German fixed network as well
as D1 mobile phone network. Any costs for calls abroad to numbers of
the value-added services as well as to other mobile phone networks will
An additional reader for registering work time is located directly in front
of the entrance and the exit to the canteen. If you are participating in the
flexi­time programme, sign out before lunch and sign in again after lunch.
Between 8:00 a. m. and 10:00 a. m., you can have breakfast in the canteen
(please use the work-time reader) or buy sandwiches to carry out.
You have to pay for breakfast directly in the canteen with your chip card.
Communication is
important to us
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So glad you could join us | Your workplace in the bank
Vending machines
The Aareal Chip card can also be used to operate the numerous vending
machines for drinks, food or confectionary, which are located on the
ground floor. Here you can also recharge your Aareal chip card by means
of your EC card.
IT hotline
If you have problems with the PC at your workstation, the user hotline
(# 3333) will assist you. In case you only reach the answering machine,
please do not let it scare you off: the hotline’s experts usually call back
within 20 minutes.
So glad you could join us | Your workplace in the bank | Health insurance
Parking
You can apply for a parking space. You can find detailed information
about the allocation of our head office’s parking space in our General
Works Agreement on the Intranet.
A fee of currently € 35.00 will be automatically deducted from your
salary each month. Any further costs will be paid by the bank.
The parking ticket allows parking from 6 a. m. to 8 p. m. If you are parking
outside of these hours, additional charges are incurred, which the bank
will not cover. You can apply for parking through Ms Gruhn (# 2583) in
the division IOS.
The user hotline will help you with the following problems:
• purchase of new hardware (if different from the standard PC)
• purchase of new software (if different from the standard PC)
• e rror messages produced by Windows
• e rror messages produced by desktop applications
• i nternet
• administration of authorisations (SAP, network)
Travel expenses
After completing a business trip, you have to submit your travel expenses.
The settlement of the expenses is based upon the Bank’s travel rules,
which are available on the Intranet. Please take the travel rules into con­
sideration when planning your trip.
Intranet
The bank has an Intranet (”http://compass.intranet.aareal.org“).
It gives you access to various items of news about Aareal Bank and to
documents such as the current credit manual.
Works Council (Betriebsrat)
As the name implies, you can expect help and advice from the Works
Council (Betriebsrat) whose members can be contacted in case you have
any questions. Information on the members of the Works Council and
their tasks and functions are available on the Intranet at ”Career and Social
Affairs/ Betriebsrat“ (only available in German).
It also covers interesting topics from the various divisions, such as:
Continuing education
On the Intranet of Aareal Bank you can find under ”Career and Social
Affairs“ the topic ”Aareal Academy – Coporate University“. Here you can
find up-to-date information on all activities concerning employee develop­
ment as well as the respective contact persons for the individual topics.
Just look into it, it’s always worth it!
5. Health insurance
If you do not have health insurance yet, you might find a suitable plan on
the Internet. The current rates can be found at ”www.krankenkasseninfo.de“
or ”www.bkk.de“.
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So glad you could join us | Have you sorted out accommodation?
6. Have you sorted out accommodation?
As in other countries, renting an apartment in Germany follows its
own laws and customs. We would like to help you prepare for the most
important steps.
Finding an apartment
Rental apartments can normally be found in the classified ads section
of the local newspaper or on the Internet, where landlords and real-estate
agents place notices.
Renting directly from a landlord is free of brokerage. Renting from a realestate agent usually requires a one-off fee of two or two and a half months’
rent. When signing a rental contract, the tenant normally must pay an
(interest-bearing) deposit of up to three months’ rent (excluding heating).
This deposit is normally paid by bank transfer rather than in cash. The
classified ads are published on Saturdays and Wednesdays in the Wies­
badener Kurier/Tagblatt, tel.: 0611-355311, and daily on the Internet:
www.immobilien.rhein-main-presse.de
www.city-residence.de
www.immobilienscout24.de
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So glad you could join us | Have you sorted out accommodation?
Television (GEZ)
You can request a cable connection through Kabel Deutschland:
0800-6649381.
To enjoy television and radio with a clear conscience (i.e. legally), you must
register with the Radio and TV licence fee collecting agency (Gebühreneinzugszentrale GEZ), which collects the statutory fees. The necessary
documents are available on the Internet (”www.rundfunkbeitrag.de“) or by
telephone 0185-99950100.
The fee for both radio and television can also be found on ”www.rundfunkbeitrag.de“.
Utilities
If you take over electricity, gas and /or water supply or you want to sign
up as a new customer, if you have questions about your account, or
if you would like to receive information on various payment terms, please
contact: ESWE Versorgungs AG Energie Direkt Center (Customer Services),
Kirchgasse 49, 65183 Wiesbaden, Mon - Fri 9:00 a. m. - 6:00 p. m., tele­
phone: 0611-7802275.
Telephone
If there is no telephone line in your apartment, you can request it at
various providers. One possibility is the free of charge hotline of Deutsche
Telekom: 0800-3303300 or under www.telekom.de/kontakt.
The monthly costs vary according to the provider. You are increasingly
offered flat rates for telephone, internet and other services. Information on
the providers and their conditions is best found on the Internet.
All fees at a
glance
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So glad you could join us | Getting around
So glad you could join us | Official matters
7. Getting around
8. Official matters
Even though Wiesbaden is a very nice place to be – sometimes, you just
have to get away. See below for how to do so quickly and efficiently using
public transport:
As when looking for an apartment, there are rules to be followed
in other areas of everyday life as well. If you have to arrange official
formalities during your time in Wiesbaden, please contact:
Bus
Bus schedules are available at the Tourist Information Office, at kiosks
and at the Utilities offices.
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (Bürgerbüro)
You can find assistance at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (Bürgerbüro),
Dotzheimer Strasse 6-8, telephone: 0611- 313344. Kindly ask in advance
by phone for the actual business hours or inquire them at the virtual
townhall at www.wiesbaden.de under ”Rathaus“ (only available in German).
Train
Train schedules for the Deutsche Bahn are available on the Intranet
at ”Services / Travel Management“ (only available in German).
Airport
The airport is easy to reach by train. If you are in a hurry we recommend
taking a taxi for about € 30.00. Please contact Taxi Herzog: 0177-3753750
(it is best to negotiate the price in advance).
Public Order Office (Ordnungsamt)
This office registers or removes your address when you move into or
out of the city and records changes of address if you move within the city.
Ordnungsamt, Europaviertel, Alcide-de-Gasperi-Strasse 2, telephone:
0611- 313333, E-mail: ”ordnungsamt@wiesbaden.de“
Business hours: Mon + Fri 8 a. m. - noon, Wed 8 a. m. - 6 p. m.
The Residents and Integration Services (Einwohner- und Integrations­
behörde) are also responsible for domestic and foreign residents.
It is located in Alcide-de-Gasperi-Strasse 1-3, telephone: 0611- 312112,
E-mail: ”auslaenderbehoerde@wiesbaden.de“.
Tax office (Finanzamt)
The purpose of tax offices is the same everywhere, therefore further
explanations are unnecessary. Wiesbaden’s tax offices (Finanzamt I and II)
are located at:
How to take off
once you have
arrived
Dostojewskistrasse 8, telephone: 0611- 8130
E-mail: ”poststelle@fa-wi1.hessen.de“, ”poststelle@fa-wi2.hessen.de“
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So glad you could join us | Your good health! | Wiesbaden
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So glad you could join us | Wiesbaden
9. Your good health!
Wiesbaden has a number of hospitals. In case of an emergency, you can
contact the Wiesbaden Emergency Medical Centre at the AsklepiosPaulinen-Klinik, Geisenheimer Strasse 10, telephone: 0611- 8470, or the
fire brigade: 112.
After all this practical advice, we would like to give you a first
impression of your new surroundings by introducing to you the
larger cities and other attractive destinations in your vicinity.
10. Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden lies in the basin between the Taunus Mountains and the
Rhine. Here, the Romans built the Limes wall to protect themselves from
the Teutons. They also built spacious bath houses to enjoy the area’s
warm springs.
The Alemanni put an end to the fun and also conquered the hastily
built ”Heidemauer“ (heathen wall), whose remains can be seen near the
”Römertor“ in Wiesbaden.
Wiesbaden was granted city rights in 1393, but did not participate in the
Rhenish urban culture or the creative influence of the archbishops
of Mainz. Wiesbaden remained rural until the end of the 18th century,
although the spa culture lived on.
Wiesbaden did not gain much significance until 1744, when the princes
of Nassau moved their seat of government to Wiesbaden-Biebrich. In
1806, Wiesbaden became the capital of the newly created duchy and, as
a result, the city gained a more prestigious standing. A classic city center
was built between Schwalbacherstrasse, Wilhelmstrasse, Taunusstrasse,
Röderstrasse and Friedrichstrasse. Prussia took over Wiesbaden in 1866.
Emperor Wilhelm II, in particular, supported the city’s development, as the
Kurhaus (spa house), the train station, the museum, and the state library
testify.
After World War II, Wiesbaden became the capital of the state government
of Hesse. Today, it hosts the state offices, the Federal Statistical Office, the
Federal Criminal Investigation Agency, insurance companies, banks, and
trade associations. Chemical, cement, and mechanical engineering com­
panies are located in Amöneburg, Kastel and Kostheim. These suburbs, on
the right bank of the Rhine River, used to belong to Mainz. The main
attractions in Wiesbaden include Wilhelmstrasse, the Kurpark (spa gardens),
the Kurhaus, the state theatre and the entire pedestrian area where the
city hall and the Hessian State Parliament are located.
Go and enjoy
yourself
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So glad you could join us | Wiesbaden
Culture
Wiesbaden has a large selection of cultural programmes. The Kurhaus and
the Hessian state theatre offer a varied and broad repertoire. For further
information please contact the Wiesbaden Tourist Information Office,
telephone: 0611- 172 99 30. More information regarding current events
can be found at ”www.wiesbaden.de/ tourismus“.
Going out
Wiesbaden has a vibrant café and bar scene. Especially the pedestrian
area of the city center, but also other parts of the city offer something to
suit everyone’s taste. The numerous guides, available at every wellstocked newsstand or bookshop, are very helpful.
Cinema
The city has a number of cinemas, some of which are listed below:
Thalia / Hollywood
Thalia-Passage, Kirchgasse 72, telephone: 0611-1600 - 444 (Movies in
the original English version are shown every Tuesday starting at 6 p. m.)
Arkaden am Ring
Bleichstrasse 45/47, telephone: 0611-1600 -222
Apollo / Atelier / Alpha / Beta / Gamma
Moritzstrasse 6, telephone: 0611-1600-333
Caligari FilmBühne
Marktplatz 9, telephone: 0611-31-5050
So glad you could join us | Mainz
11. Mainz
Mainz, which will celebrate its 2050th anniversary in a few years, is the
capital of Rhineland-Palatinate. Following the Celtic settlements, the
Romans took advantage of the favourable location: the Roman military
commander of Upper Germany (Germania Superior) established his head­
quarters here. Craftsmen, merchants, Rhine sailors, and retired legionaries
settled below the fortified camp.
Located at the crossroads of trade routes, Mainz developed into a flourish­
ing city. Mainz was already an archbishopric in the 8th century. Starting
in the 10th century, the archbishop of Mainz automatically became deputy
chancellor of the German Empire and in the 13th century, elector as well.
Its citizens were granted rights of self-government and city freedom.
Mainz led the Rhenish League of Cities, beginning in 1254.
The most famous resident of Mainz was probably Johannes Gutenberg,
who created the Gutenberg Bible, the first printed book in the world using
movable type printing, in 1455. Mainz was occupied several times during
the Thirty Years War. The elector’s residence experienced a new upswing
during the subsequent baroque period, which ended with the Napoleonic
Wars. Mainz became part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and,
after the Second World War, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The areas
on the right bank of the Rhine were transferred to Wiesbaden.
Today, Mainz is an interesting urban center, university town and media city.
Despite the devastating destruction in the Second World War, the city
boasts many historical buildings, such as the palace (Schloss), St. Martins
Cathedral, and the Gutenberg Museum.
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So glad you could join us | Frankfurt/Main
12. Frankfurt / Main
Frankfurt / Main offers outstanding attractions. The city is the largest traffic
hub in Germany. The Autobahn (highways) A5 and A3 intersect at the
Frankfurter Kreuz, next to Frankfurt Airport. From here, the city train (S-Bahn)
can take you to Germany’s largest railroad station in eleven minutes.
So glad you could join us | Frankfurt/Main | The surrounding area
Frankfurt was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War.
But there are still some attractions, such as the Goethe House and
Mu­seum, the reconstructed Old Opera House (Alte Oper), and the Römerberg with its Imperial Hall (Kaisersaal) and reconstructed medieval facades.
There are plans for further reconstruction of the structures in the Old
Town, directly after the Römerberg development.
Frankfurt is Germany’s commercial center, with more than 400 banks,
about 60 consulates and the European Central Bank. Nevertheless, the
1200-year-old city has never been a capital or a royal residence. Trade
and commerce, banks and the merchants who served them, made the
city famous. Frankfurt received trade fair privileges back in 1240. Imperial
coronations took place at the Imperial Cathedral (Kaiserdom) starting
in 1562. The German National Assembly met in St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) in 1848/49.
Frankfurt’s city centre offers a lot of shopping opportunities between
Opernplatz, Hauptwache, Eschenheimer Tor, the main railroad station
(Hauptbahnhof), and the zoo. There are more than 20 department stores
along the Zeil and the ”Fressgass“ (”food street“), which stretches to the
Opernplatz.
Frankfurt is well-known as a trade fair city, and the Trade Fair Tower
(Messeturm) is one of the city’s landmarks. The International Automobile
Fair (IAA), the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Spring and Fall Trade Fair are
among the annual highlights in the exhibition center.
The area is not only known for its beautiful countryside and its small,
often medieval villages, but also for its vineyards. The Rheingau, Rhein­
hessen and the wine-growing area of Nahe, where you can buy local
wines, can be seen from the Niederwald monument and from Johannis­
berg castle.
13. The surrounding area
Rheingau
Rheingau is the wine-growing region between Wicker and Hochheim
(both on the Main river) and Wiesbaden and Lorch. Around 3 per cent of
German wine is grown here on just 3,000 hectares. The most common
wine grown here is Riesling, along with Spätburgunder red wine. Goethe
preferred wines from Winkel (from the Brentano vineyard). According
to historical records, he was able to consume up to two liters during a visit.
At Aareal Bank,
we join forces
Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen is located on the opposite side of the Rhine and is Germany’s
largest wine-growing region, with about 25 percent of the country’s total
wine-growing land. It stretches from Worms to Bingen. The grapes grown
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So glad you could join us | The surrounding area | More advice and support
here include the well-known Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and new
varieties, such as Huxel, Scheurebe (Riesling and Silvaner) and Ortega.
Nierstein is particularly famous. The area belongs to Rhineland-Palatinate,
and the confusion caused by its name dates from the Napoleonic Wars,
when the Congress of Vienna assigned Mainz and its hinterland to the
Grand Duchy of Hesse.
Nahe Valley
Less famous is the Nahe wine-growing region, which has 5 percent of
Germany’s wine-growing land. It is located between Bingen, Bad Kreuznach
and Kirn. Despite its small size, its Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner
wines are very popular.
14. More advice and support
We hope that our brochure has helped to give you an initial impression of
the Bank and of Wiesbaden and the surrounding area. If you have any
comments or further questions, please contact Human Resources at any
time.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Imprint
Copy tuning:
Gros & Weiss Kommunikation
Design/Layout:
S/COMPANY · Die Markenagentur GmbH, Fulda
Production:
Druckerei Chmielorz GmbH, Wiesbaden-Nordenstadt
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Aareal Bank AG
Human Resources
Paulinenstrasse 15
65189 Wiesbaden, Germany
08/ 2015
Phone: +49 611 348 2334
Fax: +49 611 348 2570
E-mail: human.resources@aareal-bank.com
www.aareal-bank.com