Countries that look after the future and are determined to create public policies based on relevant data should provide adequate support to all members of society (children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, etc.), taking into account equal opportunities policies that include the creation of prerequisites for reconciling personal, family and professional life.
This goal is also envisaged in the Birth Promotion Strategy. In the process of creating public policies, the Republic of Serbia is facing extremely complex challenges that are a consequence of the tectonic socio-economic changes that Serbian society has gone through in the past three decades, accompanied by changes at the global, European and regional levels.
Probably the biggest challenge is the accelerated demographic aging of the population with the demographic trend of declining birth rates, which are further complicated by internal and external migrations, changes in family structure and the modern way of life. The problems that have arisen do not affect women and men equally, especially when it comes to reconciling work and private life, as the fact that there is still a large gap between men and women in terms of housework and childcare, as well as the fact that women earn less, should not be overlooked from men and that there is a difference in the employment rates of men and women.
With this in mind, Help Net conducted a survey whose general goal was to collect more detailed data that would provide additional inputs for writing recommendations to decision makers in order to create effective government policies related to work-life balance, as well as promoting a responsible business environment towards parents, i.e. sensitizing the work culture to parental responsibilities.
The specific goal of the research was to look at the everyday challenges they face from the point of view of employers and employees, as well as to recognize and understand these challenges by decision makers. This research also gave recommendations for the adoption of state policies related to the harmonization of work and parenthood, marking the general socio-demographic characteristics of employees with an emphasis on achieved and desired fertility, harmonization of family and professional obligations, problems related to babysitting preschool and younger school age, attitudes employees on various forms of flexible working hours, proposals and suggestions, etc. Employers collected information on their capacities In addition, opportunities to give their contribution to solving the accumulated demographic problems in the Republic of Serbia. It was of special importance to determine whether employers are sufficiently aware of the problems faced by employed parents, as well as whether they are familiar with all existing legal solutions and opportunities provided by law in this area. Particular attention is paid to the proposals of employers based on their experience, which could be effectively applied in practice in a short period.
The research therefore included employers and employees with children of preschool and school age.
The analysis of the collected data enabled the acquisition of insight into the real possibilities and potential of employers, primarily material, social and humane, which, with adequate state policies and benefits for socially responsible employers, would be directed in the right way. The analysis also provided insight into the shortcomings of previous state policies and provided a basis for their improvement or the creation of new more effective and efficient measures in the field of population policy.