Not just “Active Parent” — how to help parents get back to work.

In recent years, we have been able to observe many positive changes in Poland regarding parents wanting to participate more in the labor market. Their professional activity was particularly affected by two EU directives — the so-called parental directive and work-life balance, in force since April 2023, which made it possible to introduce significant changes to the Labour Code. Thanks to them, parents today can enjoy solutions in the field of work-life balance and parental rights and regulations defining the principles of remote work. For several years, the new regulations have contributed to the elimination of unequal opportunities for women and men in the labor market, entailing a series of social changes - because today we are witnessing more successful programs for parents. One of the most important proofs of the meaning of the changes is certainly the fact that the number of fathers taking parental leave has increased by as much as fifteen times (2022 year — approx. 3.7 thousand, 2025 — approx. 57 thousand)!

Today, as one of the most popular forms of assistance, parents choose the government program “Active Parent”, divided into: “Active in the nursery”, “Active parents at work” and “Actively at home” - each of them created the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy to support parents who want to combine parental care with the development of professional life. The program covers parents of children from 12 to 35 months, offering benefits in the form of PLN 1500 per month per child or PLN 500 per month - depending on the chosen program.

As he gives Prawo.pl:

Last year, ZUS paid additional money to parents for 618,000 children, including under the program support was paid to 46.7 thousand children, including “Actively at home” for 198.7 thousand children, “Actively at work” - for 214.9 thousand children and “Actively in kindergarten” - for 307.6 thousand children.

How does the support of parents affect their work?

The labor market includes very different types of employees or potential employees — there are not only singles pursuing careers in corporations, but also older people (so-called “silver”), generation Z, the temporarily unemployed or people with disabilities. However, parents raising children They are one of the largest and most important groups on the Polish labour market. Thanks to the regular publications of GAccording to the Polish Statistical Office, we can estimate the percentage of parents on the Polish labor market — and according to the data there may be from a dozen to several tens of percent. Taking into account the fact that children are brought up most often in the age range of 24-44 years, it can be assumed that the employment of parents is as much as 86-88%. It is noteworthy that among these people, as many as 100% of men work professionally, while only 58% of women.

Given such data, we can clearly see how the support of parents in the professional path is important both for the development of families and the efficiency of the economy as a whole.

Today, the following can count on ZUS benefits from the “Active Parent” program:

• the parent (mother or father) with whom the child lives together and is dependent on him,
• the de facto guardian of the child (that is, he actually takes care of him and has filed an application with the guardianship court for the adoption of the child),
• foster family,
• a person who runs a family orphanage.

Support can therefore provide a childcare fee when a parent wants to return to work, earn money and develop professionally. This is especially important for mothers, who find it more difficult to return to the workforce and often face more demanding re-onboarding and discrimination on the grounds of motherhood.

Not just government programs. How can companies help parents advance their careers?

In addition to government programs and changes in the Labor Code, it is also worth noting the good practices of companies, which should not only be an emergency solution used from time to time as a kind gesture towards working parents, but a real response to their needs. Changing companies' policies towards including and supporting parents can take many forms — from changing attitudes and mental forms of support to real offers of better working conditions.

A good example of such a practice is the “Happy Parents” program introduced by Philip Morris in 2019. After a study conducted by the organization, in collaboration with the Share the Care Foundation, on employee parenting, it was found that:

• more than 90% of respondents believe that the time spent with the father is as valuable to the child as the time spent with the mother;
• women and men should have the same rights and responsibilities in the care of children, and fathers are just as good caregivers as mothers;
• For men, these concerns are mainly related to family finances (30%), job stability (20%) and fear that something will miss them at work (17%).

In analyzing the results of the study, Philip Morris implemented the following solutions:

• the possibility of taking advantage of the surcharge up to 100% of the salary for a period of 8 weeks for the father who decides to take parental leave — which also ensured a more equal gender distribution in parental responsibilities;
• ensuring the so-called “soft landing” at work after parental leave, that is, maintaining 100% of the salary for the first month after returning from vacation at work in the amount of 50% of the time.

Active parent = active company

Companies that really look at their employees and their needs should therefore pay attention to how they shape their organizational culture. If they want to support parents in their professional activities, they should provide them with a work culture based on support and respect and the elimination of stigma. Thanks to well-thought-out mentoring programs and transparent communication, they create a brand with an image that not only attracts new talents, but also cares about the permanence and safety of its employees, thus not leading to unnecessary turnover.

Regular monitoring and adaptation of the programs offered by the company is an opportunity not only for better organization of work, but for real career development and building a resilient and healthy organization.

Customization of programs — ensuring that programmes are tailored to the individual needs of each mother; developing personalised return-to-work plans that take into account their unique needs; offering a variety of options such as flexible working hours, the ability to work remotely or a gradual return to full time.

Sources:

1. https://www.zus.pl/aktywnyrodzic/swiadczenie-aktywni-rodzice-w-pracy
2. https://mamopracuj.pl/jak-skutecznie-wspierac-w-powrotach-do-pracy-kluczowe-aspekty-i-wyzwania-re-onboardingu/
3. https://www.pulshr.pl/prawo-pracy/trzy-lata-od-rewolucji-w-pracy-rodzice-chca-wiecej-niz-daly-im-przepisy,118986.html
4. https://www.gov.pl/web/rodzina/aktywny-rodzic
5. https://ssgk.stat.gov.pl/Rynek_pracy_BAEL.html
6. https://hrbusinesspartner.pl/artykul/program-happy-parents-z-mysla-o-pracujacych-rodzicach
7. https://www.prawo.pl/kadry/aktywny-rodzic-w-2025-r,1536617.html