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.