Family Friendly by Design: How Gecko Supports Life Beyond Work
Maja Sušnik, Marketing Specialist
Summer brings a particular kind of energy to family life.
School routines pause, childcare arrangements change and calendars become more complicated. For working parents, the season can be full of memorable moments, but also added pressure.
At Gecko, we believe professional success should not come at the expense of family life. As a certified Family Friendly Enterprise, we are committed to creating a workplace where employees feel trusted, supported and able to manage the responsibilities that matter beyond work.
What Does Being a Family Friendly Enterprise Mean to Gecko?
Being a Family Friendly Enterprise means taking practical and continuous steps to help employees coordinate their professional and private lives. For Gecko, the certification is not simply a label. It is a long-term commitment to listening, improving our ways of working and building a culture where family responsibilities are understood and respected.
Every employee’s circumstances are different. Some are welcoming a newborn. Some are helping a child settle into kindergarten or start school. Others are returning after parental leave, caring for family members or managing the additional responsibilities that come with being a single parent.
Our aim is to create enough flexibility, understanding and practical support for employees to navigate different stages of life without feeling that they must choose between being present at home and progressing at work.
Why Does Family Friendly Support Matter Particularly in Summer?
Summer can be especially demanding for working parents because school holidays begin while professional responsibilities continue. Support such as flexible working hours, hybrid work and co-financing of organised holiday childcare helps families manage changing schedules while allowing employees to remain focused, connected and productive.
Our contribution towards organised holiday childcare is one of the measures that becomes particularly valuable at this time of year. It helps school-age children spend their holidays enjoying creative activities, entertainment and organised trips, while giving parents greater peace of mind during the working day.
Flexible working hours give employees greater control over how they structure their day. Everyone is expected to be online and available between 9AM and 3PM, while the remaining working hours can be arranged independently.
Our hybrid work policy adds another layer of flexibility. Employees spend at least two days a week in the office and can organise the remaining three days in the way that best supports their work and personal responsibilities.
How Does Gecko Support Employees Through Different Family Milestones?
Gecko supports employees through measures connected to important family moments, including time allowances during a child’s introduction to kindergarten, an additional day off for a child’s final day of first grade, gifts for newborns and schoolchildren, and additional paid leave for extraordinary family situations or eligible single parents.
Some moments require time. Others deserve to be celebrated.
- Parents can use reduced working time and an eight-hour allowance during the week when a child is introduced to kindergarten. They also receive an additional day off for their child’s final day of first grade.
- We mark meaningful milestones with gifts for newborns, New Year gifts for employees’ children and back-to-school gifts for children in primary school.
- Employees with sole or full custody of children under 15 receive two additional paid leave days each year. Additional paid leave can also be agreed for extraordinary family circumstances.
Each of these measures responds to a different need, but they all reflect the same principle: employees should feel that their workplace recognises the realities of family life.
How Do We Make Family Friendly Policies Part of Our Culture?
Family friendly policies are effective only when employees feel comfortable using them. Gecko supports this through a dedicated work-life balance team, regular communication, employee surveys, manager education and leadership evaluations that include employees’ views on how well managers support the coordination of work and family life.
Our work-life balance team collects ideas, discusses challenges and introduces better working methods. Employee feedback is gathered through dedicated surveys covering satisfaction, the use of individual measures and suggestions for improvement.
Managers and future managers receive education on the importance of balancing professional and private life. Social skills development also helps leaders understand different employee needs and resolve situations where interests may conflict.
This commitment is reinforced through semi-annual performance reviews. Employees can evaluate their managers’ attitude towards work-life balance, while the topic is also included in broader performance conversations. By measuring, discussing and reviewing our approach, we make family friendly working part of everyday leadership rather than a policy that exists only on paper.
Why Does a Better Balance Between Family and Professional Life Matter?
A better balance allows employees to stay engaged in their work without neglecting important personal responsibilities. It strengthens trust, supports wellbeing and helps create a more sustainable workplace. For Gecko, this means recognising employees as whole people and adapting our support as their needs and life circumstances change.
We know that no benefit can remove every difficult day. Schedules will still change. Children will still get ill. Family situations will not always fit neatly around working hours. What we can do is listen, respond with empathy and create practical support where it makes a real difference.
That is what our Family Friendly Enterprise commitment means to us. It is not about offering a perfect solution for every situation. It is about building a culture where employees know they will be heard, respected and supported throughout different seasons of life.
To every parent currently navigating the joyful chaos of summer, you have got this. At Gecko, we will continue working to make the balance a little easier.
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