This paper describes the features that make a city „family-friendly”. The actuality of the topic is given by the fact that the preferences of some young parents for choosing a place of living have changed in recent years, and families increasingly want to live in cities, close to urban cores. The study reviews the main characteristics of family-friendly cities in the light of some initatives aimed at creating family-friendly cities. It reveals the aspects of UNICEF’s „Child-Friendly Cities Initiative”, some American approaches and strategies for creating family-friendly environment, and the criteria for joining the „European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities”. Based on all the above, the study summarizes the key features of family-friendly urban development. In the author's interpretation, creating family-friendly cities means building a sustainable community that integrates the environmental, social and economic needs of the families living there. It is a multifaceted task which can only be realized within the framework of a long-term development strategy. The author of the study emphasizes the role of cooperation between municipalities, local companies, civil society, as well as the importance of involving families in urban planning and development process.

The study examines the countries of the Visegrad Group from the point of view of how widespread family-friendly working arrangements are in their labor market. The paper highlights that the labor market of the V4 countries in the past decade was characterized by continuous rise of employment rates. As the role of women in the labor market increases, employees have to face constant challenges in reconciling their professional and family obligations. However, flexible working arrangements that could help employees combine work and private life, are still not widespread in the V4 countries. The study primarily examines the proportion of part-time employees and remote workers of the Visegrad countries in the light of Eurostat data. The paper emphasizes the role of the governments, companies, and civil society in creating ideal workplaces for employees with family.

This paper examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of organizations with „Family-Friendly Workplace” trademark certificate in Hungary. The aim of this paper is to reveal the role of family-friendly workplaces in contributing to sustainability based on the results of a questionnaire survey. The study emphasizes the essentiality of family-friendly workplaces for sustainability, as they create an environment for their employees that supports their work-life balance and thus it contributes to improving their quality of life and to creating a more livable and sustainable society. Moreover, this research highlights that these workplaces also stand out with regard to other CSR activities. 68.7 % of family-friendly organizations consciously define the priorities of their CSR activities, with around 40 % having a CSR strategy and 35.3 % having a sustainability strategy in which their commitment in the areas of CSR and sustainability is recorded. These priorities are fair business, participation in local community life, environmental protection and sustainability, equal opportunities, and responsible employment. More than 60 % of the examined workplaces support civil, non-profit organizations and local community initiatives, and more than half of them implemented various CSR-related programs in the last three years, including fundraisers, educational and work training, actions in the field of environmental protection as well as community and health promotion programs. This study concludes that with their implemented activities, family-friendly organizations in Hungary make a significant contribution to sustainability.

The focus of the study is to examine the set of values of family-friendly organizations in Hungary. The study highlights the importance of organizational values as a fundamental part of corporate culture, which can be a major competitive advantage for companies. Values at the organizational level not only influence employees’ behaviour but also play an important role in strategic decision-making. Based on the results of a questionnaire survey carried out in spring 2023, this study demonstrates, which values dominate among organizations with the label Family-Friendly Workplace in Hungary and which are the priorities that influence their decisions. The research is meant to prove that a number of values related to social and environmental sustainability are considered in the basic principles of the organizations involved in the survey. They regard the family, support for families and work-life balance as core values. Beside family-related values, other important principles are included, such as equal opportunities, social responsibility and support for disadvantaged social groups. In addition, environmental sustainability and environmental awareness are strongly reflected in the values of family-friendly organizations.

Purpose – This study aims to examine how leadership roles and symbolic capital influence the adoption, perception and sustainability of family-friendly workplace policies. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological concepts – particularly symbolic capital, social space and habitus – combined with behavioral economic insights, the research investigates how organizational hierarchy shapes leaders’ strategic framing and employees’ interpretations of family-friendly initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a quantitative survey conducted in Hungary among 201 certified family-friendly organizations. The data were disaggregated by organizational roles (senior managers, middle managers and employees) and analyzed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, ANOVA and chi-square tests. The theoretical framework integrates Bourdieu’s field theory and behavioral decision-making constraints. Findings – Results reveal that senior leaders are significantly more likely to perceive family-friendly policies as strategic priorities and associate them with core organizational values. Their symbolic capital reinforces policy legitimacy and cultural alignment. However, middle managers report practical challenges related to implementation and resource constraints. A structural gap persists between top-level symbolic commitment and operational realities. The study also highlights how leadership credibility and internal coherence are central to policy sustainability. Originality/value – This research offers a novel interdisciplinary contribution by bridging sociological and behavioral economic theories to explore symbolic and cognitive dimensions of leadership. It addresses a critical gap in the literature by focusing on the internal dynamics – hierarchical positioning, symbolic legitimacy and implementation constraints – that influence family-friendly workplace transformations.

Purpose – The study aimed to examine family-friendly practices of employers in Hungary and compared public and private sector organisations to better understand their approaches to promoting the work–life balance of employees. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional, quantitative survey was carried out between April and June 2023, involving 702 organisations certified as family-friendly workplaces in Hungary, of which 101 managers responded. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-squared tests to examine associations between sector and the prevalence of family-friendly practices. Findings – The findings indicate sectoral variation in the implementation of family-friendly practices. Private sector organisations more frequently reported flexible working arrangements, whereas public sector employers more often reported traditional measures such as childcare services and child-friendly work environments. Teleworking was available in 87.3% of private organisations, compared with 67.4% of public organisations (p = 0.016). Similarly, part-time work was offered by 87.3% of private organisations and 63.3% of public organisations (p = 0.004). Conversely, on-site childcare (52.2% vs. 21.8%, p = 0.002) and child-friendly workplaces (58.7% vs 23.6%, p < 0.001) were more prevalent in the public sector. Research limitations/implications – The study is geographically limited to Hungary and focuses mainly on certified family-friendly workplaces, which may not represent all organisations uniformly. However, it provides a basis for benchmarking international research on family-friendly workplace policies. In addition, it does not include a qualitative study to provide more in-depth insight or to capture the views of employees, but identifies further research directions in this way. Practical implications – Based on these findings, organisations should consider implementing family-friendly policies that better promote work–life balance. The study recommends that the public sector extend flexible working arrangements and increase family benefits to improve recruitment and retention. Conversely, private sector employers should focus on developing childcare facilities on-site and fostering family-friendly work environments to support their employees’ needs effectively, thereby increasing job satisfaction. Social implications – A better understanding of family-friendly workplace policies can help to raise awareness of the importance of promoting work–life balance. The implementation of these policies has the potential to improve the well-being of employees and contribute to wider societal goals, including gender equality, family stability and the development of a more sustainable society. Originality/value – The study provides a comprehensive analysis of family-friendly workplace policies in the various sectors in Hungary, highlighting sectoral strategies and practical recommendations for better promoting work–life balance and organisational efficiency.