Closing Ceremony of the Family-Friendly Employer Awards Initiative

Zagreb, 15 April 2026 – The closing event of the Family-Friendly Employer initiative was held in Zagreb, organized by the Ministry of Demography and Immigration and with the support of the Croatian Employers’ Association and UNICEF Office for Croatia. The event brought together representatives of state institutions, employers, and civil society with the aim of promoting policies and business practices that contribute to a better balance between employees’ work and family life.

As part of the event, the Minister of Demography and Immigration, Ivan Šipić, presented the Family-Friendly Employer awards for 2025 to the most successful employers implementing family-friendly measures in their workplaces. The awards were granted in four categories, with the following winners: Saron Management Solutions d.o.o. (micro enterprises), Takeda Pharmaceuticals Croatia d.o.o. (small enterprises), DICE Digital Innovation Center d.o.o. (medium-sized enterprises), and A1 Hrvatska d.o.o. (large enterprises).

UNICEF works closely with the Ministry of Demography and Immigration to promote family-friendly workplaces, with a particular focus on children’s rights perspective. Within this framework, UNICEF provided expert input into enhancing the questionnaire and methodology of the Family-Friendly Employer award, ensuring that family-friendly business practices are viewed not only as a human resources management tool, but also through their impact on children’s well-being.

In addition, through its partnership with the Croatian Employers’ Association, UNICEF works to make family-friendly policies and practices an integral part of business priorities.

These important insights were shared at the award ceremony by Luisa Brumana, the UNICEF Representative in Croatia, as part of the panel discussion “Policies that Work for Families: From Legislative Frameworks to Business Practice.” The panel discussions focused on the importance of linking legislative frameworks with concrete solutions in the business sector, highlighting the roles of the state, employers, and international partners.

Brumana emphasized that Croatia has a strong legislative framework that provides important protection and support for employed parents, forming a solid foundation for the well-being of children and families. However, for family-friendly policies to truly deliver results, it is essential that state action and employer responsibility complement one another - through regulations that protect parents and encourage the use of rights, as well as through organizational cultures that normalize flexibility, respect work–life balance, and support parents without fear of negative consequences. Only through this shared responsibility can family-friendly organizational policies move from formal rights to lived experience - bringing tangible benefits to children, parents, workplaces, and society as a whole.

A second panel, organized by UNICEF and titled “Children, Parents and the Workplace,” was also held as part of the award ceremony. It focused on sharing concrete experiences and examples of good practice from the business sector, with a particular emphasis on the needs of parents and the well-being of children in today’s working environment.

UNICEF will continue, in cooperation with employers and institutions, to promote organizational policies and cultures that support parenthood and contribute to the long-term well-being of children.