Six new beneficaries of the MAMFORCE Standard

Working parents need support from their employers. The amendments to the Law on Maternity and Parental Benefits, enacted in June of this year, introduced the 10-day paternal leave. This represents a good start. However, the favourable policies need to be accompanied by consistent implementation, often accompanied by changes in the organizational culture. Such a change is supported by the process underlying certification for MAMFORCE standard for family responsibility and gender equality.

New members joined today the MAMFORCE responsible business community, which already encompasses some 50 Croatian and regional organizations from the public and private sector. The companies received the Basic MAMFORCE Standard in a special ceremony today are: HSM Informatika, Implant Centre Martinko, Mazars Cinotti Audit, Micro-Link, Poduzetnički centar Krapinsko-zagorske županije and Saponia. The companies awarded the Basic MAMFORCE Standard have committed to the implementation of activities that would further improve the working conditions and organizational culture, while reducing unconscious bias.

The awardees have attended the panel discussion It Takes Two to Tango – Promoting Demographic Policies through Business Practices. The participants in the panel were Ivan Vidiš, State Secretary at Ministry of Labour, Pensions, Family and Social Policies, Željka Josić, State Secretary at Central Government Office for Demographics and the Young, Anita Cvetić Oreščanin, member of the Management Bord of Poslovna inteligencija, and Vladimira Senčar Perkov, Human Resource Manager of INA Group.

Due to the potential full 67 weeks of combined maternity and parental leave, where the benefits mostly cover full salaries, Croatia ranks high among the EU countries.[1] However, the leaves are mostly utilized by mothers, which results in the reduction of parents` combined potential time with the child by 2 months that cannot be transferred between parents. For this reason, the best employers in Croatia promote the balancing of parental responsibility between the two parents, primarily by encouraging them to utilize the parental leave proportionately, and, starting from this year, to use the paternal leave. In addition to that, they provide an entire array of additional benefits for their employees.

However, the leave is mostly used by mothers, which reduces the time the parents have with the child by two non-transferable months. Therefore the best employers in Croatia, through their business practices, promote the balanced responsibility of both parents, primarily the use of a proportional part of parental leave and, starting this year, paternity leave. In addition, they provide numerous benefits for employees. "Among the employers who, by obtaining the MAMFORCE standard, stood out as a desirable place to work, there is a large share of those who provide financial support for the birth of a child - 67%, holiday gifts for children are provided by 80%, days off for various family needs - birth of a child 97%, illness child 77%, first day of school 70%, getting used to kindergarten 67%, illness of a family member 57%. Some employers also organize a day for families and children, camps for children during school holidays, education for children and parents, and provide discounts on various services useful for life. Employers thus additionally contribute to demographic policies, often above the legal minimum," said Diana Kobas Dešković at the event Connection of demographic policies and business practices, during which the ceremonial awarding of the MAMFORCE© Standard was held.

The event Connection of demographic policies and business practices was organized as part of the project Re-create work and life for women and men, which promotes balanced parental responsibility. The implementation of the project is co-financed by the European Commission through the REC (Rights, Equality and Citizenship) program. The coordinator of the project is the Ministry of Labor and Pension System, Family and Social Policy, and the partners are the Croatian Union of Counties and Spona Code.

The project Re-create work and life for women and men promotes balanced parental responsibility. Namely, with gender-based stereotypes, society expects mothers to primarily take care of children, while fathers are discouraged from taking on a more active role in parenting. The goal of the project is to increase awareness and influence the unequal division of responsibilities within the family as well as the unfavorable position of working mothers and parents in general.

Additional information about MAMFORCE STANDARD

The MAMFORCE METHOD is a DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) audit developed by Spona code d.o.o. based on academic and practical knowledge and recommendations of international organizations. It evaluates a series of indicators that enable the long-term measurement of sustainable organizational change. The method is a strategic tool for changing organizational culture that provides support in creating a supportive workplace based on open communication, trust, and respect for diversity, which positively affects the overall well-being of employees.

By introducing the MAMFORCE standard, companies work to develop a stimulating and fair working environment that supports the development of a culture of flexibility and in which all employees exercise the same rights to employment, professional development, and advancement. Depending on the level of development of HR and DEI practices, organizations exercise the right to use the MAMFORCE standard in the CHANGE, GROW or LEAD category.

Companies that have introduced the standard and are continuously working on improvements to working methods and conditions record improved employee engagement and increased productivity. At the same time, thanks to the different approaches of diverse groups of employees, they offer better products and services to the market and make thoughtful, sustainable business decisions.

More than 50 organizations in Croatia and the region have earned MAMFORCE status, positioning themselves as responsible workplaces with family- and women-friendly practices.

[1] OECD Family Database