Family-friendly certification system debuts

The Shenzhen Women and Children’s Development Foundation, in partnership with UNICEF China, unveiled China’s first-ever family friendly workplace certification system in the city Thursday. The new system aim to guide companies in creating supportive, inclusive workplaces that cater to the needs of working families.

Alongside the launch, a digital online certification platform was introduced, offering businesses a streamlined tool to evaluate and enhance their family friendly policies.

The launch event for the Family-Friendly Workplace Certification System in Shenzhen draws attention from employers and policymakers. Photos courtesy of the Shenzhen Women and Children’s Development Foundation

Based on the All-China Federation of Trade Unions' “Guidelines for Creating Family Friendly Workplaces” and UNICEF's “Business Handbook on Family Friendly Policies," the certification system is also informed by research led by Xu Yushan, a researcher at the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences.

Involving nearly 10,000 online surveys of on-the-job employees, on-site visits to 11 companies, and consultations with a range of experts and scholars, the research resulted in the “Shenzhen Family Friendly Workplace Research Report.”

The newly developed certification system provides a quantitative framework for evaluating family friendly workplace practices. 

It includes 10 basic indicators aligned with relevant national, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations, 15 universal indicators such as the provision of breastfeeding rooms, health checks, and flexible working hours, and 15 characteristic indicators that assess factors like the minimum leave time for annual leave applications and the availability of fitness facilities for employees.

Xu Yushan, a researcher at the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, demonstrates the Family-Friendly Workplace Service Platform at the event.

“We hope to help businesses transform unconscious actions into conscious plans, implicit measures into explicit policies, and temporary practices into long-term systems,” Xu said. 

“Instead of increasing the burden on businesses, the system provides guidance, ideas, and suggestions for them to develop an inclusive, family-oriented culture while enhancing workforce productivity and staff retention rates,” she explained.

A screenshot of the Family-Friendly Workplace Service Platform interface, showcasing its user-friendly design and features.

Currently, some Shenzhen enterprises have taken actions to create more family friendly work environments. For instance, Chow Tai Fook Jewelry & Gold Co. Ltd. in Shenzhen offers flexible work arrangements called “Mom and Dad Posts,” providing staff flexibility with their work hours to assist with school runs or elder care.

Similarly, Unilumin has, since 2016, heavily subsidized meals for expectant and nursing mothers. It has also introduced a birth bonus, offering 2,000 yuan (US$277) for a single child and 3,000 yuan for twins since 2020.