The Croatian Central State Office for Demography and Youth organized a round table entitled “Employers and employees on the parenting side.” The occasion was the launch of the National Campaign for the Promotion of Positive and Equal Parenting.
The round table was held in cooperation with the Croatian Association of Employers: a partner of the campaign whose goal is to sensitize employers and emphasize the importance of their role in the decisions of employees who are parents and provide active support to employees who are parents.
At the round table, it was emphasized that the support of the employer is extremely important, so that the measures passed by the state could be implemented more easily, because without it, the passed legal acts do not have much significance. One of the main topics was the measure of the use of paternity leave, which was used by 25,000 fathers in January 2024. The Central State Office for Demography and Youth conducts the campaign under the slogan “Dads, it’s a big mistake not to take the leave,” and the number of fathers using this measure has been steadily increasing since the parental leave allowance was increased.
The extreme importance of involving fathers in raising children and the household was emphasized: which contributes to the child’s development, makes it easier for the partner to return to the labor market, and makes it easier to harmonize private and business life. The
need for the development of responsible policies towards families with small children by employers, such as the introduction of flexible work engagements, reduced working hours, organizing workshops for parents, and psychological help and counseling, was also emphasized. Some Croatian companies have recognized the needs of families and accordingly brought numerous benefits for their workers: such as financial assistance for the birth of a child, salary compensation during parental leave, parking for pregnant women, days off for enrolling a child in school, marriage, birth of a child, and the possibility of hybrid work.
The round table was held at the Croatian Association of Employers on April 23, 2024, and Ana Bedeković (head of relations with the Obitelji 3plus Association members) participated in the presentation on behalf of the Croatian association Obitelji 3plus.