Development partnership Young mothers/families friendly employment (Equal)
The Family-Friendly Enterprise certificate originates from the development partnership Young Mothers/Family-Friendly Employment. Below you can find more information about the Equal community development partnership.
General description of the development partnership
The main purpose of the development partnership Young Mothers/Family-Friendly Employment is to reduce hidden discrimination in the employment of young women – (potential) mothers – due to motherhood.
Laws governing labor relations, parental care, and gender equality provide a legal framework for equal status in the labor market for young women/mothers and fathers. Nevertheless, in practice, we see the potential danger (as well as examples) of informal discrimination, which takes place behind closed doors and for which there is no evidence.
The need and urgency for a comprehensive solution to this problem is evident on several levels. The problem has been identified by job seekers, employment agencies, other official institutions, trade unions, the media, and others, but no in-depth and comprehensive analysis of this phenomenon has been conducted to date. It is precisely the absence of such an analysis and detection of the actual situation that greatly hinders the resolution of the problem.
The EQUAL Community Initiative Program also states that this problem is real and that no steps have been taken to address it so far. For example, a SWOT analysis of the labor market situation identifies a significant gender gap in employment rates as a weakness and highlights ? employment contracts that discriminate against people who are planning to have or already have young children? as a threat to reducing gender differences in the workplace. For this reason, the inclusion of Theme 8 aims to "contribute to strengthening equal opportunities policies for women and men and to tackle gender segregation" (Chapter 4.3.3 of the EQUAL Community Initiative Program). The SWOT analysis sees opportunities in comprehensive and ambitious policy measures (including in relation to labor legislation) that would enable the reconciliation of work and family life. Measures under this theme of the EQUAL initiative should complement those already being implemented at the national level. Complementarity is particularly important with the European Social Fund measures provided for in the Single Programme Document (SPD) for Slovenia.
There have been several attempts to partially solve this problem with various projects and measures. For example, in 2001-2002, the Office for Equal Opportunities ran a Phare Twinning project, which was partly aimed at promoting paternity leave and the sharing of parental leave between both parents. This task also included a "Family-Friendly Enterprise" competition, to which Slovenia committed itself in the Social Agreement for the period 2003-2005 (Chapter 5, "Family Policy," point 74.a, 5th indent) and which is also envisaged in the Draft Resolution on the National Program for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (2005-2013), prepared by the Office for Equal Opportunities.
The aim of the proposed development partnership is related to the objective of Measure 8 of the EQUAL Community Initiative Program and, as such, is one of the initiatives to combat discrimination in employment. The development partnership has set itself the task of finding measures to solve the existing problem, but will indirectly contribute to other projects that are part of the Social Agreement for the period 2003-2005, the Slovenian Economic Development Strategy 2001-2006, and Priority 2 of the Single Programming Document of the Republic of Slovenia 2004-2006 (Knowledge, Human Resources Development, and Employment). Development priority 2 takes into account the challenges identified in the Joint Assessment of Priorities for Employment in Slovenia (JAP-PIR) and in the Joint Inclusion Report (JIM), and will contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
Ensuring equal employment opportunities (both access to employment and opportunities for advancement) for both sexes is the fourth pillar of the employment policy action program. This also includes creating conditions for easier reconciliation of work and family life. The National Strategy for Labor Market and Employment Development until 2006 has set the reduction of labor market imbalances as one of its basic objectives. The new approach to employment policy requires that programs be tailored as closely as possible to individual needs and be targeted. All of this is also summarized in the Slovenian Economic Development Strategy 2001-2006 in the chapter on mechanisms for achieving the strategy's objectives.
In pursuing its goal, the development partnership will build on projects that are already underway, upgrade them, and work with key stakeholders to ensure their inclusion in policies in the spirit of mainstreaming. Among other things, it will develop criteria for awarding the "Family-Friendly Enterprise" label (a project initiated by the Office for Equal Opportunities).
We intend to achieve the objectives of the proposed development partnership by:
- economic and sociological study of the scope of the problem in question, which will serve as a basis for finding appropriate solutions,
- educating target groups (young women/parents and employers),
- publicly highlighting the problem of gender discrimination in the employment of young women,
- and publicly highlighting those companies that do not discriminate against people who are planning to have or already have young children.
This will also raise public awareness and change cultural, business, and psychosocial behavior patterns. When changing practices, it will also be necessary to continue integrating gender equality into mainstream policies (mainstreaming). This should take place in parallel with changing patterns of behavior in the public sector (including mandatory and clearly non-discriminatory wording in job advertisements in the public sector).
Transnational partnership – common interests
The main common interests of this Transnational Cooperation Agreement (TCA) are as follows:
- address vertical and horizontal segregation of women in the labor market for better local development;
- make up for the lag in understanding the rapid change in women's employment and the consequent need for change in organizations and in the establishment of services;
- promote women's entrepreneurship;
- raise awareness of corporate social responsibility from the perspective of gender equality;
- reduce hidden discrimination against women in the labor market due to motherhood;
- influence public opinion, particularly the attitude of management towards the parental role of employees;
- empower women and men to reconcile their professional and parental roles;
- develop flexible forms of employment and innovative care services as tools for this reconciliation;
- research and analyze the position of women in the labor market and innovative ways to improve it.
Methodology
The Transnational Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is based on the following working methodology:
- analysis and comparison of different local, regional, and national situations, problems, systems, and policies;
- exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices;
- exchange of innovative ideas and solutions for implementing common methodologies.
The participatory approach of TP members will be the common denominator of the transnational working methodology.
Key issues
All four DPs working on this TCA highlighted the discrepancy between the qualitative development of women's supply in the labor market and the qualitative inertia of demand in the labor market. The quality of labor demand is not in line with the personal and social situation of women. The still markedly gender-segregated labor market is the reason for the following problems faced by women:
- vertical segregation;
- horizontal segregation;
- underutilized career potential;
- neustrezne razmere;
- marginalization;
- destimulation and self-exclusion from the labor market;
- barriers to women's entrepreneurship;
- difficulties in obtaining loans and micro-loans;
- “outdated” cultural patterns and professional skills.
Partners in the transnational partnership
- Italy
IT-G2-VEN-054
P.O.N.T.I.
Elisabetta Maggi
+39 02 20524729; emaggi@cdiecoop.it - Spain
ES- 578
Por la diversidad active en el mercado laboral
Begona Ballesteros
+34 91 522 15 33; bballesteros@asalma.org - Poland
PL- 119
Partnerstwo-Rodzina-Równość-Praca
Krystyna Dowgiałło
+48 696 474 661; krystynadowgiallo@wp.pl
National partners
- Inštitut za ekonomska raziskovanja
- Ekvilib Inštitut
- Fakulteta za družbene vede
- ZIP-Zavod za informiranje in pomoč brezposelnim in iskalcem zaposlitve
- Zveza svobodnih sindikatov Slovenije
- Konfederacija sindikatov Slovenije Pergam
- Združenje delodajalcev Slovenije
- PR- Barbara Žaucer Šefman
Key activities
Planned activities:
- economic and sociological research,
- preparation of a basic module for training and informing employers,
- education and information for employers,
- preparation of a basic training and information module for job seekers,
- educating and informing job seekers,
- preparation of a basic training and information module for employees and young women/mothers and young men/fathers in education,
- education and information for employees and young women/mothers and men/fathers in education,
- educating and informing young employees and students,
- workshops for social workers at social work centers,
- upgrading education and information modules,
- social advertising campaigns on topics such as "young mothers welcome" and "gender equality in employment,"
- introduction of the "Young Families Friendly Company" label,
- transnational cooperation,
- website maintenance,
- monitoring and evaluating project achievements,
- contacting various audiences and incorporation of results into policies.
Research work
The research project "Youthful mothers/family-friendly employment" is the first in-depth Slovenian national study on the experiences of parents and potential parents and on attitudes toward motherhood/fatherhood in the workplace in Slovenia.
The research work, which is divided into sociological and economic parts, includes an analysis of the population's views on working conditions for parents, the use of parental leave, and the division of labor between parents, an analysis of actual and potential forms of discrimination (i.e., examples of bad practices), case studies (in-depth analysis of several Slovenian companies based on interviews with company management and employees), and a review of research on the economic aspects of investing in family-friendly employment and a presentation of examples of good practice around the world.
We expected that the results of the research would reveal the difficulties faced by employees in Slovenia in balancing work and family obligations, as well as the obstacles/ prejudices that exist in this regard on the part of company management, justify the mutual benefits (for employers and employees) of family-friendly policies in companies, highlighted specific successful examples of the implementation of such policies at home and abroad, and encouraged companies to introduce and implement family-friendly policies.
Research work within the framework of the "Youth- and family-friendly employment" is being carried out in the field of economic research by the Institute of Economic Research (Dr. Nada Stropnik) and in the field of sociological research by the Faculty of Social Sciences (Dr. Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela and Dr. Nevenka Černigoj Sadar).
Introduction of the “Family-Friendly Enterprise” certification in Slovenia
The work of development partners has led to another important step. This is the introduction of the Family-Friendly Enterprise certificate in Slovenia. It is an audit procedure that assesses and advises employers on which tools to use for better human resource management in the context of reconciling the professional and family lives of employees.
Some elements of family-friendly organizational policy: flexible working hours, employee participation in scheduling, employee decision-making on the amount and location of work, informing employees on parental leave about developments in the workplace, assistance in taking over work tasks after a long absence from work due to parental responsibilities, organizing childcare, paid leave for parents on the first day of school, etc.
More on the issue
Combining the role of employee with private parental responsibilities poses an obvious problem for both the employer and the employee. Some research and data on which the development partnership "Youthful mothers/family-friendly employment" was based have revealed some worrying facts:
- A 1995 survey by the Slovenian Information Office showed that 28% of employees felt neglected by their employer in one way or another due to parenthood.
- In recent years, 1.1% of fathers have taken childcare leave (known as maternity leave), while 8% have taken paternity leave. (Data for 2003: 2.3% of fathers took childcare leave and 65% of fathers took 15 days of paternity leave.)
- Hidden discrimination against women due to motherhood in the labor market is difficult to prove and cannot be demonstrated using official statistical sources. There are only a few analyses that show discrimination by employers in the hiring of women. Analyses by the Office for Equal Opportunities show that (potential) pregnancy and motherhood are the main reasons why employers prefer to hire men rather than women, transfer women to other, often lower-paid positions, and why women lose their jobs. (T. Stankovič, Delo, 18 November 2003)
- The Office for Women's Policy (now the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Equal Opportunities) reported on its website in the Second Report of the Republic of Slovenia on the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women that there had been a large number of reports of discrimination in job seeking or employment, mainly due to motherhood or pregnancy. The data is based on calls to a toll-free telephone number.
- The results of international studies show that a quarter of human resource-related problems arise from the dual role of employees. On the other hand, there is more evidence that employers can not only cover but also exceed the costs of implementing family-friendly policies through positive effects (primarily higher employee productivity).
- The development partnership's own research work on "Youth/family-friendly employment" confirmed, supplemented, and deepened the research findings and conclusions on which the development partnership's work is based.
On October 28, 2007, the Young Mothers/Families Friendly Employment program officially ceased operations. We believe that it has been successful and that it has brought a number of innovations to our region in terms of reconciling work and family life and reducing discrimination in the employment of women and, above all, (potential) mothers. Our main product, the Family-Friendly Enterprise Certificate, will of course continue to exist in the future. On October 29, 2007, based on an agreement between the partners, the Ekvilib Institute took over responsibility for it, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities and all interested partners who have participated in it so far.
