What Is Family-Friendliness at Work?

People in four different situations in a lifespan of balancing work and life.

Family-friendliness enables combining work and family life smoothly and efficiently. Work-life-balance concerns people in different life situations and different life stages. Family-friendliness should be pursued and cherished because it benefits everyone.

A family-friendly workplace supports the well-being of both individuals and families. According to studies it also increases work motivation and work satisfaction.

Laws and collective agreements alone are not enough to guarantee family-friendly workplace culture. More detailed instructions and specific rules are often needed at the workplace.

Family-friendliness is both attitudes and practices. Alongside instructions and individual solutions there is a need for balance and fairness in the treatment of all personnel. Even small acts and gestures of family-friendliness can make a difference for the better.

Family-friendly company logo.

Sections of family-friendliness are:

  1. Values and Attitudes
  2. Flexibility of Working Time and Place
  3. Family Leaves and Lifespan
  4. Rules and Guidelines
  5. Experiences of Leader’s (Management) Behaviour
  6. Leaders’s (Supervisors’) opinion
  7. Experience of Work – Life Balance and the Employer’s Family-Friendliness