Family-friendly working life is MiB's goal

A family-friendly working life is in everyone's interest. We want to shake up old attitudes and change the work culture throughout the country permanently.

Family-friendly working life is not just for parents of young children - we all have lives outside of work and each situation requires individual attention.

Family and employee-friendly practices also increases productivity at the workplace.

Tools for employers: A Family leave guide

The Uusimaa ELY Centre’s project 'From family leave to work' has gathered a guide book for employers to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family at their work place.

MiB’s Susanna Bergendahl and a group of other specialists have contributed and shared their knowledge about the topic to the guide book called From working life to family leave and back – Family leave guide for employers. Check it out!

Annual seminar about Family-friendly work life

We organise a yearly Family-Friendly Working Life seminar usually in October to discuss current topics and raise public awareness:

• Why is family friendliness so important?

• Why is family friendliness in the workplace an advantage for both the employer and the perpetrator?

• What can each of us do in our daily lives to increase a family-friendly culture?

We have gathered familyfriendly tips from previous seminars below. There is a lot that we can do togehter!

What is Father-Friendly management like?

On Friday, 7th October 2022, MiB organized the third Family-Friendly Working Life Seminar with the theme "Is it everyone’s right to have both career and family?" For the first time, the seminar included content of father-friendly management.

Watch a video recording of father-friendly leadership topic (simultaneously interpreted):

• The seminar was hosted by social media influencer, business coordinator and father of two, Ville Viholainen

• Opening words: Annica Moore, Executive director, Mothers in Business ry

• Key note speaker: Emilia Kangas, DSc (Econ and Bus Admin), Responsible management expert

#familyfriendly tips!

What kinds of family-friendly actions can concretely be taken at the workplace?

We put together tips from which you can gather a collection suitable for your own workplace to increase family friendliness. Employees can share these tips with their managers.

Read the tips more explained underneath!

Family-friendly practices - concrete ideas for employers:

1. Lead by example. A good manager serves as an example of a good work-life balance. In a supervisory role, it is also important to communicate that one's family and loved ones come first and that work can be organized around them. For example, if you’re ending a meeting on schedule, you can openly state that the reason is to pick your child up from kindergarten. Real life quote: "The whole management team is setting an example of reconciling family and work, and everyone, including the CEO, is allowed to reschedule things when the kids get sick."

2. Establish family-friendly guidelines for the entire organization. It’s good to take a moment to consider what kind of workplace you want to build and how family-friendliness can be implemented there. Make a concrete list of your workplace practices and share them with your employees. Real life quote: “I only found out afterwards that there was a human resources plan created for the workplace. It mentions, for example, that employees with families should be offered the opportunity to work remotely from time to time. However, no one had told employees about this.”

3. When your employee goes on family leave, how about giving them a baby romper printed with the company logo as a gift? A gift is a polite way to show consideration for an employee who is about to have a baby and also a clear indication of an accepting atmosphere at the workplace. Remember that fathers and mothers alike are entitled to a baby gift. Real life quote: “The company gave a baby romper with the company logo at the start of the family leave! The fact that the company has had them made already says a lot!”

4. Keep in touch with your employee during family leave. Invite them to company events and call them from time to time to keep in touch. Keep them in  the loop about the most important updates at the workplace. Consider making a note in your calendar about calling employees on family leave so you don't forget. Can you invite them to visit the workplace with the baby? Also consider the employee’s own preferences and ask them how they wish to keep in touch during family leave.

5. React positively to baby news! When it comes to announcing a pregnancy, the employer’s reaction has a big impact on the work atmosphere and the attitude towards the parent-to-be. Warm congratulations are a great way to respond to the news.

6. Offer opportunities to work remotely! People with families often need flexibility in working hours, and working from home can sometimes make a big difference in reconciling family and work. Openly discuss with your employee about the options that would offer them the flexibility they need. For example, regular teleworking days without having to apply for a permission make everyday life a lot easier. 

7. Show understanding of the unique life situations of your employees. It is important to know how your employees are doing and what factors affect their daily lives. Is there something you could do for them? Is there anything they expect from the management? You can only find out through open discussion and listening. Always be empathetic. Real life quote: “My supervisor once stated that he considered fatigue equal to getting sick, and sent me home to rest ❤️”

8. Encourage fathers to take family leave. Ask the father to be _when_ he plans to take family leave and invest in creating a culture where the contribution of both parents to childcare is considered equally important. 

9. Don't discriminate! Pregnancy and family leave are still associated with an unacceptable amount of discrimination. Out of all discrimination cases, pregnancy and family leave related ones are the number one reason for contacting the labour unions. When recruiting, it’s not OK to ask about the family background of the applicants. Perhaps you can consider setting up an anonymous application procedure? Another form of discrimination is ending a well functioning work contract because of family leave. A real-life quote: “The most outrageous example was when my fixed-term contract was not renewed after I told I was pregnant, even though continuing my contract had been actively planned before the announcement and there was a continued need for the work input.”

10. Create an open atmosphere where talking about families is welcome. There are as many family situations as there are employees. A good and open atmosphere encourages everyone to talk about their loved ones to the extent that feels right for them. Real life quote: "I believe in leading by example, that is, when the executive director answers their kid’s phone call during the workday and takes them to work when necessary, it makes me feel that it’s natural for me too to be both a wonderful mother and a top worker - without any contradiction."

11. Offer flexible options for childcare. Reconciling work and family is a challenge for the family for example when the kindergarten is located far from the workplace and/or home. The child or children have to spend long days at daycare and the employee is likely to experience more stress because of the situation. For example, some workplaces have made it possible to hire a caretaker at the employer's expense when the child is ill or recovering, or arranged a separate space at the workplace for small schoolchildren to spend the afternoon after school.

12. Face employees that are grieving or going through other life crises with empathy. The death or serious illness of an employee's spouse, child, or other close relative affects the entire work community. The supervisor plays a key role in arranging the employee’s return to work and in communicating the support available. Return to work after a serious illness or the death of a loved one can be supported by a variety of arrangements as well by occupational health services. The employee who has experienced the crisis is the best person to tell what kind of support she or he is in need of. In the face of a crisis, it is important to show empathy. Sending flowers on behalf of the work community is a concrete way to convey condolences.

13. Offer a Mothers in Business membership to the mothers at your workplace. MiB brings together over four thousand mothers interested in their careers. At MiB, you can expand your networks, improve your well-being and enhance your professional skills. Members are also involved in advancing equality and improving the position of women in working life. MiB membership is a perfect employment benefit! Send an email to info@mothersinbusiness.fi and you can easily offer MiB membership to all mothers at your workplace.

14. Take initiative to offer part-time work. The parents of first and second graders are entitled to partial care allowance by Kela if their working hours are reduced to no more than 30 hours a week to look after the child. Remember also to adjust the employee’s workload to the reduced working hours.

15. Ask if your employee wants to work during their family leave. It is possible! Partial parental benefit can be paid to both parents during the same period when they both work part-time and thus share both the parental leave and the childcare responsibility. A person on parental leave can also work on Sundays and other holidays without it affecting the benefits.

16. Don’t make a hassle when a child gets sick! Make your employees’ everyday life easier and offer paid leave to care for a sick child without requiring a medical certificate. Real life quote: “Giving up the requirement for different certificates makes it easier to take a leave due to a child’s illness. My employer has made a contract with the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare for childcare services in the event of children falling ill. The employee is thus allowed to hire a caretaker at home and is able to return to work. The employer pays for the service.”

17. Acknowledge the important anniversaries of your employees’ children! A small gift on a confirmation day, high school graduation, and the like goes a long way. These days are important for both the working parent and the child.

18. Consider that a family includes much more than just small children. Your employees may have responsibility over adult children or, for example, elderly parents. Everyone's situation is unique and situations can change very quickly, for example when a loved one falls ill. Family friendliness is about understanding all kinds of situations and family relationships.

19. Ensure the possibility to breastfeed or pump milk at the workplace. A mother returning to work from family leave may continue to breastfeed her child. It is very important that the workplace enables pumping milk in a quiet area and that there is a fridge available for storing the milk. It’s also great if the caretaker of the baby can come to visit with the little one and that the mother is able to breastfeed in a quiet place at work. Real life quote: “We lack a space for breastfeeding / using a breast pump. Of course, there is space in the toilets, but all the meeting rooms have windows and it is not possible to lock the door anywhere other than the toilet.”

20. Ensure a smooth return to work from family leave. Take time for re-onboarding, as many things may have changed during the absence of the employee. Show the employee that you are happy to have them back, and that their return has been expected. A warm reception makes it returning to work a lot easier. 

21. When planning shifts, consider the needs of working parents. Discuss with your employees about their wishes regarding work shifts. If working parents' wishes regarding shifts are not taken into account, the situation may become impossible. Real life quote: “My job description was changed without prior notice, contrary to what was agreed in the development discussion, as my maternity leave was approaching. Until the start of my leave, I was put on the heaviest work schedule without any flexibility, despite my wishes. I would have hoped that what was previously agreed wouldn’t have been changed without asking and that my wishes as an employee would have been heard.”

22. Involve the employee going on a family leave in the recruitment of their replacement. If the employee wants to, allow them to participate in the selection of their replacement as well as their onboarding. It is certainly easiest to plan the work to be carried out during the leave together, which also makes it easier later to return to work.

23. Provide challenges and meaningful work assignments for working parents as well. A good practice is to ask the employees themselves in which direction they want to take their career. Do not assume that working parents do not want  more responsible tasks to be added to their job description. Meaningful tasks increase employees’ coping and motivation. Therefore, whenever possible, it is a good idea to allow the employee to have a say about their job description and its development as much as possible. Ensuring that team members’ goals and responsibilities are clear, makes it possible to focus on the essentials and achieve results. Real life quote: "I would like more exchange of ideas and feedback from my supervisor so I could focus better on the essential tasks.”

24. Attend a family-friendly working life seminar! MiB’s family-friendly working life seminar is held in October. In this free of charge event we delve deeper into the topic of family friendliness. The program typically involves working life influencers and is packed with interesting speeches. Read more here and register:

https://www.mothersinbusiness.fi/perheystavallinentyoelama

25. Set up substituting practices for shorter absences as well. Make sure the substituting practices are up-to-date so that even a short absence does not place an undue burden on other employees or returning employees. Real life quote: “There is just too much work. Especially if the kids get sick, the work piles up. There is no delegation culture at my workplace. This creates intense stress and guilt. There need to be ways to decrease the workload when you are absent from work.”

26. Hire a shared babysitter during school holidays. The youngest school children may not be able to cope home alone during the holidays. Not everyone has a support network to help with the situation or can afford to pay for a caretaker. By hiring a shared caretaker for your employees’ school-aged children, the employees are able to focus more fully on work. Can you try this out already during the next vacation period?

27. Establish a working time bank. For many, it’s helpful if the workday can be split into parts, and for example exercise included in between. Real-life quote: “Family-friendliness is implemented at my workplace as flexible working hours. We have the opportunity to handle child-related matters such as a doctor’s appointment or a meeting at the kindergarten flexibly during the work day.”

28. Trust your employees. Distrust sours the atmosphere at work and creates a negative setting that can also be perceived from the outside. It is a good idea to give working parents as much flexibility as possible, and there is no need to suspect them of abusing the flexibility. At a good workplace, people are also motivated to work well. Real life quote: “Maintaining a good balance between work and free time is possible because of the flexibility and trust on the part of the supervisor.”

29. Allow the parent of a first grader (or preschooler) to take paid leave on the first day. The first day of school is the biggest thing in a child’s life, and it can be nerve-wrecking for parents and children alike. It’s wonderful if the employer can offer a peaceful start so that the parent can be there for the child both in the morning as well as after the first school day. If it is not possible to give a full day off, how about half a day? How have you taken the start of the school year into consideration at your workplace?

30. Extend the possibility to care for a sick child to include other family members. Extend the possibility of taking a short leave to care for a sick child to include the employee's parents or other family members. The family is much more than just young children, and an employee may have duties towards an elderly parent or a sick sibling, for example.

31. Give grandparental leave to the new grandparent. The arrival of a grandchild is a big deal! Talk to your employee about whether they need time off to see the baby or help the new family for a while.

32. When planning vacation schedules, take working parents into consideration. Parents often need to take their summer vacations during school holidays or when the kindergarten is closed. Understanding this will make everyone at work happier.

33. Remember that all the good you give comes back to you. Family-friendly organizations are successful. Happy employees enjoy their work and achieve better results. Good management motivates employees to give their best. Family-friendly values ​​and a good atmosphere can be noticed from afar - even by customers. A real-life quote: “A family-friendly workplace and supervisor (especially flexibility in working hours and telecommuting possibilities) is currently the biggest motivator to stay in my current job. I feel it’s even more important than the content of the job. We have one kid in kindergarten and a first grader. ”

34. Be proud of the family-friendly workplace you have created. If you’ve already incorporated family-friendliness into your work culture, you’ll find that everyone is happier. The values ​​of your organization are golden and it is noticed by employees as well as clients. A real-life quote: “I have enjoyed working for my current employer for a long time, precisely because of family friendliness. I could get a better salary elsewhere, but in this life situation, a family-friendly atmosphere is really important.” Another real-life quote: “The feeling of a family-friendly atmosphere at the workplace is the best. The sense that the management and colleagues value each and every employee. Together we want to create a work community where everyone's daily life and work can be combined as naturally as possible, whether one has a family or not.”

35. Organize events for the whole family at the workplace. Working parents will certainly appreciate it if their family members can also take part in their working life for a little while. Halloween is in November. How about organizing a Halloween party for your employees and their families? In the summer, it is easy to organize outdoor events with various activities. (Considering exceptional circumstances)

36. Participate in the Take Your Child to Work Day. The day is celebrated annually in November. It can be meaningful for a child to experience some contact with their parent's workplace, while it also serves as an indication of family-friendly values for parents and clients. Find a way to participate that suits your workplace. (Considering exceptional circumstances)