Civitta helps to implement the family and employee-friendly model within organisations

Since this autumn, Civitta is implementing the family and employee-friendly model on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs. In the next 4 years, Civitta will be helping an average of 20 companies take part in the family-friendly label program which allows a participating company to apply for a family and employee-friendly model label as well as to be involved in the evaluation and development program. This is a certification process aimed at assisting companies with introducing different family and employee-friendly model measures that would help them become more caring of their employees.

In Estonia, family and employee-friendly behavior is no longer a novel approach. The enterprises that support reconciliation of work and family life and think of increasing employee satisfaction, have been recognized in Estonia for 15 years. The competition of family-friendliness has been extremely successful and popular and it generated an image in the society that, for the employer, it is important to deal with the reconciliation of work and family.

It is known that, in the enterprises which do not focus on soft values, the employees are unhappier and this leads to the fact that people in their thirties have experienced job burnout at least once in a lifetime. People often do not find their place in life and are not able to combine hobby and work. They yearn for change, but they lack self-perception as well as awareness of the opportunities for change. Most of the people wish that the job would fit their lifestyle, the career would be unrestricted and enriching and the life as a whole would be in balance.

Employers sense that happier employees are significantly more effective and loyal. The working environment is nice, the staff is more creative, which in turn supports innovation. This all contributes to the increase in efficiency, which is directly related to the company's improved financial results. 

At the same time, many companies are still stuck with obsolete work culture. They are trying to link staff development to the corporate objectives, hoping that people would identify themselves only through their organization 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Increasingly, such companies are in a difficult situation, because as life and countless studies confirm, people's career expectations have irreversibly changed. Suitable staff is hard to find, people do not stay in one company and/or are often unhappy, stressed and burned out. In this situation, the only solution is the ability to put yourself in employee's position and to think what kind of work culture, opportunities and self-fulfillment he/she needs. Then, it is important to start implementing the necessary changes. In the coming years, Civitta will be guiding the implementation of such changes.

More details: Triin Loik, triin.loik@civitta.ee