Maintaining a work-life balance is one of the most important aspects of the well-being at the workplace and beyond. It is about learning how to set boundaries that work for your career and personal life. The employee must be able to fulfill his obligations at work, as well as at home, while finding time to enjoy his passions and interests in his free time. The perfect ratio of time dedicated to work and "home" looks different for each one of us, however we all agree on the fact that human (un)well-being has a direct impact both in the work environment and at home.
Finding a work-life balance does not always come naturally, it can be developed both by the employer and the employee. Creating healthy habits that help individuals create a routine that works for them and applying family-friendly policies in the work environment are the catalyst for a good work-life balance.
Albania does not have a specific law for promoting the balance between family life and work, but in the domestic legislation there are a number of provisions that reflect this balance. In recent years, the legal framework in Albania has undergone improvements regarding work-life balance arrangements and gender-responsive family-friendly policies. Improvements reflect the inclusion of international conventions and treaties into the national legislation and the approved changes in essential laws, such as: the Labor Code and the Social Security Law. Although more detailed regulations are needed along the lines of the EU Directive on promoting work-life balance, the progress is fruitful and tangible.
Family-friendly policies in the workplace require the cooperation of many actors in order to become systematic, part of the policies and regulations of the private sector and the public sector, of other interest groups, and more. Within the regional project "Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector” implemented by UNFPA and supported by the Austrian Development Agency, several champion companies have been selected in partnership with DM Consulting according to well-defined criteria. These companies have also practiced other internal arrangements of an empowering or financial nature, to be close to employees and to create a supportive environment. In addition to the legal framework, R&T Group, FIX and Raiffeisen Bank apply family-friendly policies in the workplace as innovative solutions.
The Covid-19 pandemic, isolation, and the need to stay at home introduced new ways of working, such as remote work and online services. This challenged the traditional ways of working, which require a physical presence on work premises. The newly applied ways changed not only the work practice and the management style but they were seen as reliable work methods, resulting in higher performance and motivation of the employees.
R&T GROUP is one of the companies that during and after the pandemic proposed a number of different forms of working for some of the sectors. Jeta Valedi, an employee of the Human Resources Department, says that R&T GROUP has already created procedures for flexible work hours, including working from home and online. For this purpose, the company has invested in technological equipment for employees who work from home, and the goal in itself always remains the achievement of the work-life balance.
Family-friendly policies imply a cultural change in the management of the organization and the workforce, which means that companies must strive for a better degree of balancing work and family responsibilities. Work-life balance can be achieved in various ways. Family-friendly policies should not only be accessible to new parents but to all employees. They should apply in both the public and private sectors.
During a meeting with UNFPA in the framework of the regional project "Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector", the Human Resources Director at Raiffeisen Bank, Valbona Zeneli, communicated that another family-friendly policy has been adopted in this bank. Subsidy of parental leave for one month for the employee who becomes a parent/father, regardless of whether or not the child's mother has taken her parental leave. With this friendly policy, the bank aims to support new fathers to take care of their children during early childhood. This paid leave for the father creates a close relationship between him and the child from the first days of the child's birth and contributes to the fulfillment of the parental role of the employee and the well-being of the child. However, family-friendly policies are not limited only to new parents, but apply to all employees who care for other family members, as well as employees who want flexibility with their work schedules.
Therefore, the main focus is on flexible working hours, enabling employees to balance their personal and professional life, thus fulfilling the responsibilities that the staff has for these two pillars of life.
In line with these policies, Xhensina Kapo, an employee of the Human Resources Department at FIX company, said that a social fund has been created to support employees with school-age children or elderly people under their care. This support aims to ease the financial burden of employees who perform family care tasks for minors, the elderly, or other family members in need. This social fund will also cover the additional requirements for the education of the employees' children.
The nature of family-friendly policies is different and differs from company to company. However, whatever the sector or nature of initiatives: empowering, financial, or social, they come as the most important investment in the company.
