Industry Regional self-administration body
Employees 161
The Varaždin County – MAMFORCE Standard

Varaždin County is situated in the North of Croatia, covers 1261 square kilometres, and has some 160 thousand inhabitants in 300 settlements, 22 communes, and six cities. The County is one of the densest populated areas in Croatia. The City of Varaždin is the County seat. There are 26 nature protection areas, and 19 ecological network sites in the County, encompassing 17 percent of its total territory. Varaždin County is the oldest in Croatia.

Industry Regional self-administration body
Employees 161
Challenges
  • Increasing employee satisfaction and engagement
  • Equal opportunities for advancement regardless of parental status
  • Improvement of policies and procedures in accordance with the principles of socially responsible business
  • Introduction to flexible forms of work
  • Improving the balance of private and business life

MAMFORCE Partnership

After the initial audit, and the development and implementation of the ensuing action plan, the regulatory framework for maternal and parental leave has been significantly improved in the County, and the maternal and parental compensations have been increased. The right to take a paid leave due to a child’s illness has been introduced in the new collective agreement, kindergarten fees are subsidised, the right to unpaid leave of 30 days a year has been introduced, along with days off on the occasion of the birth of the child. All fathers are granted paternal leave as a matter of course, and are allowed to work half-time if childcare demands it. Financial assistance to cover the costs of health care for children and family members is also offered.

In addition to that, a number of kindergartens are being built across the County, and increasingly offer extended working hours. In collaboration with cities and municipalities in the County, a greater availability of crèche facilities is being promoted. One-off payments on the occasion of the birth of the child have been introduced, the housing program is being put in place in line with demographic policies, often going beyond legal requirements. The collaboration with the MAMFORCE team has developed an awareness of additional measures that need to be implemented to improve the working environment and introduce flexible working arrangements.

Results

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Improved Inclusive Leadership 10%

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Better Work-life Balance 3%

On the collaboration with the MAMFORCE team

We have been aware of the vast expertise that Spona Code, as the project partner, had in this area. Through an advisory audit, they analysed our existing human resources management system, and suggested changes that would reduce gender stereotypes and improve work-life balance for employees. We are very appreciative of the analysis that we got through this process, and of the recommendations for the upgrades in our business processes and productivity, which are all based on an innovative, scientific method. In addition to that, we have gained access to the best global, regional, and Croatian human resource management practices, which can be adapted to our circumstances and integrated into our business processes. This insight into the experiences of others in the area of work-life balance and gender equality helps us consider more clearly the responsible business practices and benefits towards our employees, to help them balance their obligations, because working parents need the support from their employers.
Anđelko Stričak, Varaždin County Prefect

Employee Testimonials

Unesite sadržaj projekta
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Ministarstva rada, mirovinskoga sustava, obitelji i socijalne politike
PARTNERS
Hrvatska zajednica županija
Spona Code
The implementation of the project is co-financed by the European Commission through the REC (Rights, Equality and Citizenship) program.
The European Commission
This information was published as part of the EU project “Redefine Work-Life for Women and Men” with the financial support of the European Union Program “Rights, Equality and Citizenship” (2014-2020). Spona Code is solely responsible for the content of this website. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for how the information on this website will be used.

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